Women claim tampons have been hit by shrinkflation and say smaller sizes have made them think 'something is wrong with their bodies'
- Influencer Melissa Simonson, from Idaho, accused Tampax of 'shrinkflation'
- READ MORE: Revealed: The cost of having a period around the world
A woman who accused Tampax of 'shrinkflation' and claimed the brand's tampons had 'shrunk' over time has received staunch support online.
Content creator Melissa Simonson, from Idaho, has made it her mission to call out corporations for 'shrinkflation' - when manufacturers reduce the size of products but keep the price the same.
She recently set her sights on tampon manufacturers Tampax, posting a video to TikTok slamming Procter & Gamble for 'shrinking' their tampons while still charging the same price.
She claimed the change has caused women to think 'something is wrong with their bodies', although Tampax has denied changing the size of tampons.
The video - which has received more than three million views, racked up almost 6,000 comments many from women who said they've noticed the same thing, while one claimed it made her understand why she was going through tampons 'so quickly'.
Content creator Melissa Simonson, from Idaho, has called out Tampax over 'shrinkflation' and accused them of 'shrinking' their tampons
In a clip on Melissa's page, she said: 'I'm calling you out Tampax! These sizes that you normalized so that we all as women know about which ones [tampons] we use for which period of time during our periods - these are not accurate anymore because you shrunk them'.
She pointed to a 2020 poster by Tampax owners Proctor & Gamble, which featured a woman standing next to a variety of tampons each ranked from 'light' to 'ultra'.
Melissa continued: 'Women have actually sought doctor's appointments thinking something is wrong with their bodies because you did this and you didn't tell anyone. Shame on you!'
To drive home her point, she uploaded an image posted online by a Reddit user of two Tampax tampons side by side, which appeared to show the size had reduced 'within one year'.
The image featured two Tampax tampons, however one appeared smaller than the other.
Melissa explained that they were two 'regular' sizes of different products - the Tampax Radiant and Tampax Pearl.
However, she questioned why the Radiant - released in 2012 - was much smaller than the Pearl - released in 2002 - despite both tampons doing the exact same thing.
She questioned why the newer product was much smaller yet there was no reduction in price. Following this, she investigated what, if any, were the 'functional differences' between the two.
'I was shocked to learn that yes, there are indeed differences, but then I saw what the differences are and then... it made so much sense' she quipped sarcastically.
People have also taken to Reddit to point out a seeming reduction in tampon sizes over the years with one comparing the size of an old regular tampon (left) with a more recent one (right)
One anonymous Redditer placed two Tampax products side by side to illustrate the effect of 'shrinkflation'. However, the slightly larger product on the right is the older Tampax Pearl, while the newer version on the left is the Tampax Radiant. Women have argued that they are supposed to have the same 8-hour protection and the only real difference is the packaging
The influencer said she'd found that they were both advertised as offering the same amount of protection - '8 hours' - and that the main difference was the Radiant's packaging.
Elsewhere, another Reddit user said they had found an old Tampax regular tampon from a few years ago and
Melissa was inundated with tales from thousands of women who said they'd spotted similar changes.
'Oh my gosh!' said one person. 'I thought it was weird I was going through Supers so quickly! This makes sense!!'
'Wow ok I was confused why I was bleeding through tampons more frequently' said another.
Someone else wrote: 'Plus, they now put 36 instead of 40 in their large box and two less in the small box!'
One woman said: 'I swore by Tampax Pearl back in the day and I hate Tampax now'.
Melissa said Tampax's actions had caused women to think 'something is wrong with their bodies' as the company's benchmark for sizing and menstrual flow had shifted in recent years
'No wonder I've been using more,' commented another.
Meanwhile other women claimed they'd experienced 'shrinkflation' with other brands and sanitary pads.
One person wrote: 'It's not just Tampax. I realized lately I thought I was bleeding more. Found an older tampon and realized the difference is massive'.
Another said: 'I’ve found with pads as well, they barely even stick anymore. Quality has just gone so downhill when we don’t have a choice to pay for these products'.
Elsewhere, one person sparked concern on Reddit after lamenting the alleged change in Tampax sizing in one year.
The video attracted an army of supporters who claimed to notice the same thing, while one woman said it made her understand why she was going through tampons 'so quickly'
Taking to the social platform, they wrote: 'Are you f***ing kidding me Tampax? This is just within this year'.
They placed images of two seemingly unused Tampax tampons side by side to illustrate the change in length.
In another Reddit post uploaded 13 days ago, one user shared a similar disparity, writing: 'more evidence of shrinking tampons?'
They claimed to have found a Tampax tampon from many years ago which was visibly much larger than one they had purchased recently.
They wrote: 'I found an old Tampax Regular tampon from years ago (the one on the left, with their old packaging, too) in the back of a bathroom drawer, and so decided to compare it to a Tampax Regular bought within the last year (the one on the right).
People also slammed the brand on X, with one person accusing them of reducing Tampax sizes to 'make more money'
'I know Tampax came out and said "Tampons are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and adhere to industry absorbency or size ranges as listed on the side of each package... The FDA absorbency ranges have not changed since its introduction more than 30 years ago"... but come on, look at it!
People have also taken to X to slam the brand.
One person wrote: 'Just so they can tell me nothing is wrong! I've been changing FAITHFULLY EVERY hour on the hour (my first two days) when you claim your products last for eight hours! Hear me now and hear me GOOD! I WILL NEVER BUY YOUR PRODUCTS AGAIN!' Tampons cost WAY TOO much for you to tamper with the size!
Someone else wrote: 'You shrunk our tampons to make more money'.
And responding to Melissa Simonson's TikTok video, another said: 'I’ve noticed this!!!!!! EXPLAIN YOURSELF. I have old tampons lying around, so don’t lie. This can be easily fact checked'.
A spokesperson for Procter & Gamble told the MailOnline that Tampax has not changed the sizes of their tampons.
They said in a statement: 'At Tampax we innovate continuously to improve consumer experience, our products are available in multiple sizes with different absorbencies designed to fit different needs and flows.
'Tampax adheres to the Absorbency Classification and Droplet Scheme guidelines specified within AHPMA’s (the Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturing Association) Code of Practice. This Code of Practice is shared with the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)'.
