Día de la Higiene Menstrual

A global study reveals women’s quest for the perfect vulva. But there is one problem. It doesn’t exist. Bodyforms’s campaign Viva La Vulva celebrates the vulva in all its beautiful forms and fights against the myths, insecurities and stereotypes that women are subjected to when trying to care for their vulvas.

42% of women have refrained from going to school or work because of menstruation. It is unacceptable that in 2020, our world still hasn’t provided period-safe education and work environments, says Joséphine Edwall-Björklund, Senior Vice President Communication at Essity.

‘Period poverty’ means being unable to access sanitary products and having a poor knowledge of menstruation often due to financial constraints. In the UK, 1 in 10 girls can’t afford to buy menstrual products. Bodyform partners with In Kind Direct and has since 2017 donated 3.6 million pads to local community groups and charitable organizations.

Periods are normal, so should talking about it be. We believe that to normalize periods all children should be fully educated about periods. Bodyform in UK drives the Fear Going to School Less campaign aiming to improve period education and tackle the taboos around periods, regardless of gender and done with boys and girls in the same group.

One significant obstacle that leaves many women at a disadvantage is the stigma around menstruation. Women who menstruate need a private space for washing and managing their menstruation. These needs are overlooked far too often, making menstruation an impediment in community participation, education and working life.

In our 2020 study (release date Sept 2020) it shows that five out of ten parents have never talked to their daughters about menstruation, in 2018 this was four out of ten. More activation is needed to get both parents to drive this conversation. Periods are natural, yet home conversations to create trust and understanding still don’t seem to happen everywhere.

Over the last few years, we have witnessed a transformation in how menstruation is talked about in public. Decision-makers in both the public and private sectors have a particular responsibility to drive this change. Also companies working in this field have a role to play in challenging taboos around menstruation.

Multiple health conditions are affected by the menstrual cycle, but awareness about this relationship is low – both among physicians and patients – which can lead to misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment.