Home-based cloth menstrual pad makers are required to pay an exorbitant fee in excess of several thousand dollars each year to make, sell or even donate cloth pads. These pads are made from material available in local craft stores. They are not laden with chemicals like disposable pads.
Currently, cloth menstrual pads are classified as a medical device used in the treatment of a disease. Menstruation is NOT a disease. It is a normal, biological function of the body. To call menstruation a disease that requires treatment would be the same as saying urination or dedication is a disease in need of treatment.
Many of the pad makers are home-based women who see around their daily responsibilities and sell on a small scale, making it impossible to make a profit and pay the fee.