When Guardian US columnist Jessica Valenti tweeted an innocuous question about subsidised tampons, she probably wasn't expecting a torrent of furious abuse in reply.
![Nevertheless, that's exactly what happened. For the next 24 hours Valenti received a stream of vitriol criticising her appearance, her anatomy and her politics. Many were recommending that she get a real job, a hysterectomy, or married so that her husband could pay for her tampons ("as long as your [sic] putting out").In the UK, tampons are taxed and are classed as "non-essential" items by the HMRC. Some people agree with this; others are petitioning for the tax to be lifted.However, Valenti did not reference any of this in her original tweet. All she asked was:"Anyone know a country where tampons are free or somehow subsidized?"](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-08/10/7/enhanced/webdr10/original-20710-1407671884-3.jpg)
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Nevertheless, that's exactly what happened. For the next 24 hours Valenti received a stream of vitriol criticising her appearance, her anatomy and her politics. Many were recommending that she get a real job, a hysterectomy, or married so that her husband could pay for her tampons ("as long as your [sic] putting out").
In the UK, tampons are taxed and are classed as "non-essential" items by the HMRC. Some people agree with this; others are petitioning for the tax to be lifted.
However, Valenti did not reference any of this in her original tweet. All she asked was:
"Anyone know a country where tampons are free or somehow subsidized?"
