The ‘Tampon For Men’ brand from Finnish company Vuokkoset is continuing to expand the menstrual discussion with new products designed to include trans and non-binary individuals…
Last year Vuokkoset, a Finnish sanitary product manufacturer, launched the Tampon for Men, aimed at trans men and non-binary folks. The product was launched during Transgender Awareness Week as a means of addressing the gender dysphoria trans men and non-binary people feel around menstruation, with the aim of changing perceptions of periods and reducing the distress it can cause.
The fight for menstrual diversity continues. After launching Tampon For Men last year, Vuokkoset is now releasing a new gender-neutral ‘For Menstruation’ product family, to continue to expand the menstrual discussion to include trans and non-binary individuals. The gender-neutral product family will be available online and in limited stores around the globe in June 2024.
The launch of Tampon for Men last year became a global talking point. Unfortunately, as is the case with anything that is trans-focused or inclusive, Vuokkoset faced an incredible amount of hate from anti-trans trolls. The product was featured in news stories around the world and sparked some pretty lively discussions on social media. Opinions were divided, but feedback from the transgender community and supporters of diversity was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for feeling seen because of the campaign.
“We paid close attention to the conversation,” says Sanna Karhu, CEO of Delipap Oy, the company that manufactures Vuokkoset products. “From the feedback, we recognized the need for completely gender-neutral products that would recognize non-binary individuals as well. Additionally, there were requests for other products, such as underwear liners and menstrual pads. Based on this, we started developing a fully gender-neutral product line that will be launched this summer.”
Tampon for Men highlighted the fact that menstruation can affect men as well. With a similar gender-neutral design, the new ‘For Menstruation’ product line is even more inclusive and aims to expand the conversation about menstruation to include non-binary individuals as well.
“Some people who menstruate do not identify as women. They can be men, non-binary or intersex. On the other hand, not all individuals who identify as women experience menstruation, and that does not make them any less women. We want to highlight this diversity of menstruation and gender,” says Karhu.
“Understanding of gender is continually evolving. Companies and LGBTQ organizations have no excuse to ignore scientific research on gender diversity. The world is changing, and businesses must change with it. This is another step in the right direction,” says Dakota Robin, a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) consultant based in Helsinki, Finland.
The For Menstruation product family will have tampons as well as underwear liners and menstrual pads, which were included based on customer feedback. The products will be available in select retail stores in June 2024. For more information, visit www.vuokkoset.fi/en or www.instagram.com/vuokkoset.
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