The claim is that schoolgirls are missing school because women can’t afford tampons so Pharmac is being asked to subsidize them and other ‘feminine hygiene products’. Pharmac seems to be taking the request seriously and checking to see if its role could include this. Will the National govt court the female vote again for this year’s election by throwing money at this demand as they did for Herceptin?

Our internet search found no research or statistics to support the claim that girls are missing school in significant numbers because they can’t afford tampons. The claim seems a cheap attempt to justify yet another demand for special treatment of females.

Feminine hygiene products are claimed to be basic essentials, and they include deodorants. No statistics are provided to show the level of educational or health problems resulting from a lack of deodorant.

Exercise is important for health so perhaps Pharmac should buy us all sports clothes and equipment. Toilet paper and soap are quite important to health and if neither are used this will probably impact on school attendance, so perhaps Pharmac should subsidize those. Shoes are a reasonably fundamental need and without them we are susceptible to foot injuries, so free shoes all round courtesy of Pharmac? The problem is that all these health essentials apply equally to males so that would be no fun at all.

The femaleists calling for Pharmac money for tampons dismiss any special need for boys such as hygiene products or shaving gear, even though boys are not allowed to attend most schools if they don’t shave.

Food is a pretty fundamental need for health so perhaps Pharmac should buy us all food. Or maybe just free food for women; now there’s a good idea. AND YOU HAD BETTER NOT DISAGREE BECAUSE THEN YOU WILL BE MISOGYNIST.