The movement to exempt feminine hygiene products from sales tax has gone worldwide. Canada's tax on feminine hygiene products was lifted over the summer, after thousands of people signed an online petition. British women staged a tampon tax protest while on their periods last fall. In the United States, however, tampons and other feminine hygiene products are being taxed as a "luxury" item. At least that is what many people are claiming. The controversy of this so called "tampon tax" may be overblown and out of proportion.

First let's look into what women across the country are so riled up about.

A luxury tax has historically been used during times of war to increase government revenues, or as a way to get more tax revenue from the ultra-wealthy. It seems like law makers today don't mind charging extra fees for the use of these "ancillary-type" products because usually only products consumed by a minority of the population are affected. This is obviously not the case with tampons, which is by no means a product that is unnecessary or non-essential. If you are a woman, you will get your period and you will need to buy tampons or pads. There are few exceptions to this, end of story.

So this tax has become an unassailable foundation for feminist advocacy. Women are being taxed for buying sanitary products that men don't need. But the truth is that there really isn't an additional tax imposed on tampons. The problem is that they are not exempt from most states' sales tax. Although it is true that only women are affected by this tax, it is important to make the distinction that the sales taxes that make tampons more costly often apply to other necessary personal healthcare products as well. Toilet paper is taxed, and I can't think of anyone that doesn't need that. These items are taxed because they are necessary and because people will buy them!

So yes, it might seem like women are being taxed for simply being women. Even President Barack Obama thinks this is unfair that states tax tampons and menstrual pads. "I suspect it's because men were making the laws when those taxes were passed," the president told Ingrid Nilsen in a series of interviews with YouTube stars in the White House.

There is certainly some potentially sexist decision-making involved with how state tax codes and exceptions are determined. But this is not a war on periods. A case can definitely be made that feminine hygiene products should be exempt from sales tax, but this issue cannot be presented as a pressing instance of discrimination. This is misleading given all of the bizarre nuances of state tax codes.

There is an easy fix to this problem: if you are a woman and you need to save money on hygiene products, stop buying tampons! Just kidding. You can however, invest in some alternative options that will help you save money. The Diva Cup is becoming a very popular option for many women because it is reusable and made with natural materials so it is safer to use and safer for the environment. That's a win-win for people everywhere!

As women, we must advocate for ourselves and make sure we are making smart discussions about what we consume and support. We may not be able to make the "tampon tax" go away over night, but we can always think of creative solutions to get around it and still get all our necessities covered in the meantime.