The Pink Tax in Healthcare: Why Women Pay More for Their Health

By Serena Cavalier

Image Source

Important Note: Although this article is written about the impact of the pink tax on those who identify as cis-women, it is important to recognize that gender identity is complex and many people identify with genders beyond the male–female binary. Gender-diverse individuals are also vulnerable to financial challenges in accessing essential healthcare.

The pink tax refers to the higher prices charged for products and services marketed toward women compared to similar items for men. It is not an actual tax but a pricing disparity (Guittar et al., 2021). This practice affects everything from personal care products to clothing, but one of its most harmful manifestations is in healthcare. While Canada has made progress by eliminating the “tampon tax” (GST on menstrual products) in 2015, gender-based pricing and cost disparities remain in medical care, reproductive health, and insurance coverage (Watters, 2015). Women often pay more for essential health-related items, face higher out-of-pocket costs for reproductive healthcare, and experience financial barriers due to longer diagnostic wait times and systemic biases in medical treatment. These hidden costs not only place unfair financial burdens on women but also create barriers to accessing necessary care.

Price Differences in Health and Personal Care Products

The pink tax is most obvious in personal care products. Women’s razors, deodorants, and even painkillers are often priced higher than their nearly identical “men’s” versions. For example, a pack of women’s disposable razors can cost significantly more than a men’s pack with the same number of blades. The only difference? The colour and branding.

The data firm ParseHub conducted a study in 2021 where they gathered pricing data from Shopper’s Drug Mart and Walmart Canada’s websites to compare the prices between items targeted towards men and women across different personal care categories. Their results showed that women pay, on average, over 50% more for basic personal care products than men (Perez, 2021). 

Beyond cosmetics, gendered pricing extends to over-the-counter medications. Pain relievers marketed towards women, such as those labelled for menstrual cramps, often contain the same active ingredients as regular painkillers but come at a higher price (Cowley & Agro, 2023). Similarly, sleep aids and multivitamins branded for women tend to cost more than their generic or male-targeted counterparts, despite having nearly identical formulations. These pricing discrepancies make essential healthcare products more expensive simply due to marketing differences.

Higher Costs for Reproductive Healthcare

Despite its medical necessity, birth control is not universally covered under publicly funded health insurance in Canada, and not all private plans include it either. While condoms are readily available at low cost or for free in many health clinics, options like oral contraceptives, IUDs, and hormone-based treatments can be expensive (Health Canada, 2024). While there have been talks about covering prescription contraceptives in Canada, no policy has been passed (Health Canada, 2024). 

Menstrual and menopause care also highlight the gendered cost of healthcare. While the removal of sales tax on period products was a step forward, the cost of menstrual products, prescription hormone therapy, and menopause-related treatments remains high. Hormone therapy, often recommended for managing menopause symptoms, is not always covered by insurance, forcing many to pay out of pocket for relief (George, 2023).

Gendered Pricing of Medical Services

Beyond products, healthcare services themselves often have gendered pricing and availability issues. Cosmetic dermatology and mental health services, which disproportionately serve women, frequently charge high out-of-pocket fees (Thapa & Pradhan, 2019; Coveney, 2022). While this cost is not directly targeted towards women, they face the brunt of high medical expenses.

Women are also more likely to experience medical gaslighting, where their pain and symptoms are dismissed, leading to longer diagnostic delays and more doctor visits before receiving proper care. For example, women with endometriosis wait an average of 7 to 9 years for a diagnosis, incurring financial and social costs due to prolonged symptoms without treatment (The Lancet, 2024).

Research shows that women often wait longer than men for pain treatment in emergency rooms and are less likely to receive appropriate pain medication (Naamany et al., 2019). This can result in prolonged suffering and lost wages due to time off work — another hidden cost of the pink tax in healthcare.

Conclusion

The pink tax in healthcare is not just an inconvenience; it is a systemic issue that affects financial and physical well-being. Addressing gender disparities in the pricing of health products requires policy changes and increased awareness to challenge the idea that healthcare costs are impacted by gender.

References

Coveney, S. (2022, January 31). The gender gap in Mental Health. News Medical & Life Sciences. https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Gender-Gap-in-Mental-Health.aspx 

Cowley, J., & Agro, C. (2023, March 24). Shoppers Drug Mart eliminates “Pink tax” on menstrual pain medication following CBC investigation | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-pink-tax-1.6787778 

George, C. (2023, February 15). HRT cost: Hormone replacement therapy pricing explained. GoodRx. https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/estrogen-replacement/hrt-cost

Guittar, S. G., Grauerholz, L., Kidder, E. N., Daye, S. D., & McLaughlin, M. (2021). Beyond the pink tax: Gender-based pricing and differentiation of personal care products. Gender Issues, 39(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-021-09280-9

Health Canada. (2024, February 29). Universal access to contraception. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/02/backgrounder-universal-access-to-contraception.html

Naamany, E., Reis, D., Zuker-Herman, R., Drescher, M., Glezerman, M., & Shiber, S. (2019). Is there gender discrimination in acute renal colic pain management? A retrospective analysis in an emergency department setting. Pain Management Nursing, 20(6), 633–638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2019.03.004 

Perez, M. (2021, March 9). Does the pink tax still exist? women are paying +50% more. ParseHub. https://www.parsehub.com/blog/pink-tax-women-pay-more/

The Lancet. (2024). Endometriosis: Addressing the roots of Slow Progress. The Lancet, 404(10460), 1279. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(24)02179-2 

Thapa, D. P., & Pradhan, S. (2019). Profile of cosmetic consultation in a General Dermatology Clinic. Nepal Medical College Journal, 21(3), 190–194. https://doi.org/10.3126/nmcj.v21i3.26456 

Watters, H. (2015, May 28). Federal government lifts GST on feminine hygiene products as of July 1. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tampon-tax-will-end-july-1-1.3091533