No tampons in the 3rd world.
No tampons! April 2, 2011
Since I have been here for quite a while now, and currently have a lot of time to write, I get to write about all the little things that you never know about a place unless you visit it.
Like...lack of tampons.
So, I noticed this in South America too - but not as extreme. In South America, you'll find walls of pads and not a single box of tampons at most little markets, but at least when you go into a large super market you can find them. In the Philippines...good freaking luck finding tampons if you need them! I, always being prepared, brought my own...but still, I feel that this knowledge is worth sharing! Since I have had a lot of downtime here I have been to more markets and have noticed how extreme it is. We are talking WALLS AND WALLS of pads...and not a SINGLE box of tampons.
What is up with this? Of course, it is not more environmentally/economically difficult to produce them, so it must be something cultural. I am thinking it is simply due to religious conservatism and tradition. Most likely, girls grow up thinking that they shouldn't be putting things in there...but this is all just my speculation. I have also noticed that here in the Philippines it is very rare for women to be active or play sports, which is a marketable component for tampons in the developed world.
In any case, there certainly is very very little demand for tampons, what ever the reason(s) may be. Check out this woman's experience here:
http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/09/a-post-for-the-ladies-tampons-in-the-philippines/
Since I have been here for quite a while now, and currently have a lot of time to write, I get to write about all the little things that you never know about a place unless you visit it.
Like...lack of tampons.
So, I noticed this in South America too - but not as extreme. In South America, you'll find walls of pads and not a single box of tampons at most little markets, but at least when you go into a large super market you can find them. In the Philippines...good freaking luck finding tampons if you need them! I, always being prepared, brought my own...but still, I feel that this knowledge is worth sharing! Since I have had a lot of downtime here I have been to more markets and have noticed how extreme it is. We are talking WALLS AND WALLS of pads...and not a SINGLE box of tampons.
What is up with this? Of course, it is not more environmentally/economically difficult to produce them, so it must be something cultural. I am thinking it is simply due to religious conservatism and tradition. Most likely, girls grow up thinking that they shouldn't be putting things in there...but this is all just my speculation. I have also noticed that here in the Philippines it is very rare for women to be active or play sports, which is a marketable component for tampons in the developed world.
In any case, there certainly is very very little demand for tampons, what ever the reason(s) may be. Check out this woman's experience here:
http://www.haveinternetwilltravel.com/2008/12/09/a-post-for-the-ladies-tampons-in-the-philippines/
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