The world’s first tampons for men have been criticized by feminist campaigners as an “insult” to women facing menstrual discrimination.
Vuokkoset, a Finnish company, launched its controversial new sanitary product earlier this month to coincide with Transgender Awareness Week and International Men’s Day.
The product comes in a dark blue box that says “For Men” on one side, but then expands that statement around the packaging to say “For Menstruation” at the end.
On the other side of the package, it is stated that “menstruation is not a gender issue.”
Vuokkoset said in a statement online that it launched the menstrual product to “raise concerns about the gender of hygiene products and menstrual periods in trans men.”
Trans men menstruate while undergoing hormone therapy
The company says that transgender men (women who identify as men) can continue to have a menstrual cycle even while receiving hormone therapy to change gender, or they can choose not to receive such treatment at all and therefore still menstruate.
They added that research shows that 93 percent of transgender men experience menstruation-related gender dysphoria (a feeling of discomfort that a person may experience due to a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity).
Finnish trans man and human rights activist Dakota Robin, face of the “For Men” tampon ad campaign, said: “By changing attitudes and broadening perspectives, we can also eliminate discrimination against gender minorities.
“The least anyone can do is understand that menstrual periods do not define femininity and understand the diversity behind them.”
‘Menstrual shame part of gender inequality’
But on Saturday, feminist groups and women’s health experts criticized Vuokkoset for separating the idea of being a woman from menstruation.
Midwifery educator Anna Melamed said: “For many girls around the world, period shame and the lack of period products are a big part of the gender-based inequality they experience.
“Suggesting that ‘periods are not a gender issue’ is a step backwards for those trying to educate young people and, frankly, an insult to the sexism that girls and young women face every day because of their periods.”
Milli Hill, feminist writer and author of the best-selling book on female puberty called My Period, said: “I wouldn’t complain if the packaging had clearly stated that this product was for people who identify as trans men, but they do say this The product is specifically “for men”.
“I think these companies need to stop changing the definition of words like man and woman to support the lie that people can change gender while biological sex does not change.
Reaction to ‘trans inclusive’ period products
“It’s also interesting that the packaging of menstrual products for women is gender-neutralised, but here is a menstrual product that screams ‘for men’.”
This latest debate is part of a growing backlash by women’s groups, companies and institutions against a trend to “erase” the link between women and menstrual products, making them more “trans-inclusive.”
A spokesperson for women’s rights group Woman’s Place UK said: “Menstruation is not a sign of femininity but a biological fact of a woman’s life cycle.
“Only women menstruate; The formation of a small market that prefers products that say ‘for men’ on the box will not change this fact.”
Earlier this year former Environment Secretary Therese Coffey ordered an investigation into tampons and sanitary pads sold in men’s toilets at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
In 2019, when Always, the leading products brand of the period, removed the Venus image, representing the female gender, from its packaging, women threatened a boycott.
‘The majority of people who menstruate are women’
Vuokkoset’s brand manager, Senja Blomqvist, responded to criticism of “male” tampons by saying: “We fully accept that the vast majority of individuals who menstruate are women and that this is an important part of the female experience. However, for some men and non-binary individuals it is also a it is real.
“Knowing the experiences of everyone who menstruates does not erase anyone; it simply acknowledges and respects the diversity of human experiences.
“Our goal is not to draw attention to women’s health issues, which are extremely important. “Instead, we aim to broaden the conversation to include all people who menstruate.”
Although currently only available in Finland, the tampons are planned for wider distribution in early 2024, although it has not yet been confirmed whether they will be sold in the UK.