Amy Schumer: Don't Blame Me for Tampon Shortage

Supply chain issues have caused shortages, price hikes
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 12, 2022 10:20 AM CDT
Supply Chain Woes Cause Tampon Shortages, Price Hikes
Tampax says demand has risen 7.7% since the Schumer ad campaign.   (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

American women are facing a serious shortage of tampons—and Amy Schumer wants people to know that it's not her fault. When Tampax was asked about shortages, the company said a successful ad campaign starring the comedian had led to an explosion in retail demand since 2020, though other brands have also been in short supply, CNN reports. Analysts say the real causes of the tampon shortage include shortages of raw materials including cotton and plastic, which have been in high demand for face masks and other personal protective equipment since the start of the pandemic.

Many women have complained that tampons are nowhere to be found in stores and they are being "gouged" when they order them from online retailers like Amazon. A spokesperson for Procter & Gamble, which owns the Tampax and Always brands, says its factory has been "producing tampons 24/7 to meet the increased demand." Time notes that P&G produces all its tampons at a single factory in Maine, while Edgewell Personal Care, maker of Playtex and o.b tampons, uses a single factory in Delaware.

In May, tampon prices were up almost 10% year-on-year, per Bloomberg. Amy Schumer joked about P&G blaming her for the shortage in an Instagram post Thursday, reports the Los Angeles Times. "Whoa I don’t even have a uterus," said the comedian, who had her uterus and appendix removed in September due to endometriosis. Allison Morrow at CNN writes that the tampon shortage "shares uneasy parallels" with the baby formula shortage, " primarily in the unhelpful responses offered by men who aren't directly affected by them." (More tampon stories.)

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