12 pads a month, no tampons: Is that enough for Arizona’s incarcerated women?
No. The answer as any woman who has ever had a period will likely tell you is NO, especially when the pads they give are ultrathin. But that’s what the menfolk legislators of the AZLEG think is sufficient and they’re now being forced to deal with a bill ( HB2222) brought by an uppity female legislator, Athena Salman, D Tempe, who hopes to change this. The bill cleared its first hurdle this week.
Currently, incarcerated women automatically get 12 free pads each month. They must ask an officer if they need more and may possess up to 24 at a time. Unlike in other states, if they want tampons, they must buy them.
Let’s talk about periods. If you’re lucky, you have some moderate flow for about 5 days. That’s the average agreed upon by medical professionals. Some last as little as 2 days (never met one of these women but supposedly they exist). Some as long as 7. If you have additional issues like endometriosis or you just have heavy flow, could be longer. Physiology being what it is, all us wimminfolk are different. I don’t think I ever had a period shorter than 7 days and some that lasted 10. Oh and did I mention that some women aren’t on a monthly cycle and can have periods every few weeks?
The recommended frequency of changing pads ( regular, not ultra thin...think tissue compared to paper towel(s) means that for the average period, a woman would need approx 20 pads. That’s minimum.
If a woman has an average menstruation of five days and follows guidelines to change her pad or tampon every six hours, she would need 20 pads or tampons per period. Some women experience heavy menstruation and require more.
Separate from the health risks, a woman who doesn't have enough pads or tampons will likely end up bleeding on her clothes.
Did I mention that the women in Arizona get 12? Ultrathin. But what’s the big deal about ultrathin you might ask? We have tiny computers in our pockets so why aren’t smaller feminine hygiene products automatically better and more efficient?
Let’s talk about pads. For the longest time, pads came in one size. Thick. Then companies started to realize that some of us bled lightly and/or that in most cases things lightened up towards the end of our periods so they came out with lighter, less bulky pads which were great if you had the ability to choose when to adjust what you use. But some things don’t change and these ultrathin pads aren’t magically absorbent. They’re not intended for general use.
Let’s talk about tampons. Well we really don’t have to talk about them in the context of this story other than to mention that the incarcerated women of AZ can’t have them. In some prisons, they are available by purchase but not provided to inmates. And in order to purchase them it would take an incarcerated female in AZ 27 hours of work to save up for 1 box.
Let’s talk about what happens if since you don’t have enough feminine hygiene supplies and you stain your clothes ( Hmm, let’s see blood leaking from your body without anything to absorb it gets on clothes. Film at 11) then at Perryville ( Arizona’s only prison that houses female inmates) the SHE is the one who gets in trouble and gets punished.
Kitcheyan said if blood stained a prisoner's pants, she would be given a ticket for being out of dress code, which could result in her losing visitation rights, phone calls and the ability to purchase store items — including tampons and pads.
Because that makes sense. IANAL but that seems to be a discriminatory policy on its face since it can only affect women.
Let’s talk about the ig’ant dumbass Republican men in the AZLEG who don’t want anything to change. We can start with my new BFF Anthony Kern who’s mad at me for believing what’s reported in The Arizona Republic and not a “video” he insists I watch but has only sent me a link to the general AZLEG video page and not the specific video he thinks I should watch. Therefore I’m sticking w the AZRepublic’s reporting ( and have asked the reporter for a comment on whether he said what he said):
Because as I told him via Twitter last night:
And some of the other menfolk AZ Legislators are verklempt at having to hear about icky wimmin stuff:
"I’m almost sorry I heard the bill," said Lawrence, the committee chairman. "I didn’t expect to hear pads and tampons and the problems of periods."
Prolly because in their lives, moms, sisters, wives and daughters kept all that gross stuff to themselves like they’re supposed to. God forbid that people who have the responsibility for the well being of others should have to hear ( like adults) everything that entails.
If you want to reach out to my new BFF Anthony Kern his Twitter is : @anthonykernAZ
The reporter for the AZRepublic is Kaila White : @kailawhite
Representative Athena Salman : @AlthenaSalman
Sunday, Feb 11, 2018 · 3:03:38 AM +00:00
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Vita Brevis
Update #2:
I asked the AZRepublic reporter, Kaila White, for a clarification on her article based on Anthony Kern disputing something stated in it. While he did not specifically make the comment about inmates doing frivolous things like potentially clogging toilets if given additional pads, he very much did make this comment:
which led to Travis Grantham making the specific toilet reference.
Kern’s words are clear however (and Kaila sent me the direct link the the video so he can’t argue) he is on record as 1.) having voted against the bill and 2.) generalizing about frivolous actions. To me this is an inconsequential distinction w/out a difference and demonstrates that he doesn’t think denying women adequate feminine hygiene products is a problem.
