Let the Countdown Begin!
Did you know — there is no federal law that requires companies to disclose ingredients in period care products?!
BUT … In 2019, New York became the first state in the United States to pass a bill requiring manufacturers of period care products to fully disclose their ingredients. This ground-breaking law is about to go into effect — companies have only a handful of days left to get their act together and stop hiding ingredient secrets.
LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!
This bill would not have passed without the actions of so many people like you who raised their voices for their right to know! So let’s do it again.
This September we begin our countdown — all month we are sharing resources, facts, actions, blogs, headliners, graphics, videos and more to help amplify this important new disclosure law. Each day we’ll reveal new materials, new ways to raise your voice, and new reasons why it is so important that we prioritize period health!
TICK TOCK – IT’S TIME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
We’re paying attention. We expect companies to not only be in full compliance of the New York law, but we hope to see true shifts in the industry’s transparency policies, ingredient safety assessments, and that ingredient information will be easily accessible so people can make informed decisions about their health.
Studies show that menstrual care products can contain chemicals of concern, including those linked to cancer, allergies, reproductive harm and more. It is outrageous that companies have been able to hide this information from the people who use these products. Tick-tock tick-tock: It’s time to end these toxic secrets and hold companies accountable.
JOIN US!
Let companies know you’re paying attention too: Learn, share, and engage with your community about these issues. It is so important for conversations on periods and period health to move into the mainstream — because those conversations are MOVING the mainstream. For example, over the last few years period policies addressing safety, access or affordability have been introduced in almost all of the 50 states, as well as in Congress!
Everyone has the right to know what is in their period care products. So while this new disclosure information will only be required on the label in NY, this law sets a new precedent for transparency and we’ll keep pushing until we all have this information, no matter where we live, or what products we use!
You can also sign-up for our Label Reading 101 Event with WVE’s Director of Science and Research to see how this new law is impacting ingredient disclosure in your local stores!
We’ll also be uplifting resources on intimate care products, menstrual equity and the need for safe, accessible and affordable products. For far too long conversations around periods or vaginal health have been stigmatized, neglected, or manipulated — this is what has allowed governing bodies to tax period products as a luxury item for decades. This is what has allowed corporations to hide harmful ingredients from the people who use these products. This is what has prevented decision-makers, educators, healthcare providers and individuals from making menstrual health a priority in our homes, in our communities and in our cultures.
WE’RE DONE WAITING and THE CLOCK IS TICKING
Tune in, join in, and start the countdown today at https://womensvoices.org/countdown
It amazes me that we have less rights here in the United States then most countries when it comes to companies disclosing possible ingredients that can be harmful. First of all any company that is creating a product for us to use, whether to wear, to put on or against your skin, eat, drink and even inhale etc. That company should have to disclose everything about that product including the bottling as well. Secondly, if any ingredient is known to be carcinogenic, that ingredient should not be allowed in the product or in its bottling. Putting a law that says, they will have to disclose it, is a great start but unfortunately, it’s not enough! How many of us truly read the back of a label each and every time? I know that I try to but let’s face it, not all the time and some items I wouldn’t even think to look at the label, like sanitary napkins. To find out that there’s companies that have been creating sanitary napkins with carcinogenic products in there sanitary napkin and low and behold I use this product. I’m so saddened by this. However, I am also overjoyed to hear that they’re not going to be able to hide this anymore.. We have to start somewhere and disclosing all ingredients is the first step to a safer tomorrow.