The World’s First ‘Tampons For Men’ Blasted As An ‘Insult’ To Women

The world’s first tampons for ‘men’ have been blasted by campaigners as an ‘insult’ to women who suffer period discrimination.

A Finnish company called Vuokkoset released the 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 and has the words ‘For Men’ on one side, but this phrase is extended around the packaging so that it eventually reads ‘For Menstruation’.

On another part of the packet it is stated that ‘periods are not a gender issue’.

In an online statement Vuokkoset say they launched the product to “raise the issue of genderness of hygiene products and the anxiety related to menstruation in trans men”.

The Telegraph reports: The company says that trans men – females who identify as male – might continue to experience menstrual cycles even while undergoing hormone treatment to change gender or may choose not to have such therapy at all and so will still have periods.

They added that studies show that 93 per cent of trans men have experienced menstrual-related gender dysphoria – a sense of unease a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity.

The face of the ‘For Men’ tampons advertising campaign, Finnish trans man and human rights activist Dakota Robin, said: “By changing attitudes and broadening perspectives, we can also stamp out discrimination against gender minorities.

“The least anyone can do is to understand that periods do not define womanhood and understand the diversity behind them.”

‘Period shame very much part of sex-based inequality’ 

However, feminist groups and women’s health experts last night lambasted Vuokkoset for separating the idea of being female from menstruation.

Anna Melamed, a midwifery lecturer, said: “For so many girls around the world period shame and a lack of period products is very much part of the sex-based inequality they experience.

“To make out that ‘periods are not a gender issue’ is a backward step for those of us trying to educate young people and quite frankly is an insult to the sexism girls and young women suffer every day because of their periods.”

Milli Hill, feminist writer and author of a bestselling book on female puberty entitled ‘My Period’, said: “I would have no complaint if it was clear on the packaging that this product is for people who identify as trans men, but they are saying this product is specifically “for men”.

“I just think these companies need to stop changing the definition of words such as men and women to support a lie that people can change sex when biological sex is immutable.

Backlash against ‘trans inclusive’ period products 

“It’s also interesting that the packaging on women’s period products is being desexed and neutralised and yet here we have a period product shouting about the fact that it’s ‘for men’.”

This latest row is part of a growing backlash from women’s groups against a trend among companies and institutions to ‘erase’ the link between women and periods products to make them more ‘trans inclusive’.

A spokeswoman for women’s rights group ‘Woman’s Place UK’ said: “Menstruation is not a sign of femininity – but a biological fact of the female lifecycle.

“Only women menstruate – this fact will not be changed by there being a small market of those who prefer products with ‘for men’ on the box.”