Thread by @wanderingwomb1

In the UK Always ignores women when we beg them to sell unscented pads that don't stink of pot pourri bc we don't want a perfumed vag.

In Africa they ignore women begging them to sell pads that don't cause them *actual physical harm*

Ashamed I didn't know about this till now

https://twitter.com/bbcafrica/status/1105872131362091009

Always selling substandard products to African women:

"Outrage over ‘mediocre’ Always pads in Kenya causing rashes, burns"

"Kenyans from the diaspora chimed in saying the products sold abroad are different quality from those sold back at home."

citizentv.co.ke/news/outrage-o…

Kenyan women called for a boycott of Always, accusing P&G of supplying the African market with substandard products.

"They complained of itching, rashes, boils and burns. Some had tales of embarrassing leaks”

nation.co.ke/news/Call-for-…

"Like many, @yellowyesmellow wrote: “ … Before these conversations, I sincerely thought it was normal that my pad burnt. That I had to apply Vaseline or Arimis on my outer genitals to reduce the burns every time.”"

"Kenyans have also asked the company to remove the plastic lining, which is believed to cause rashes, infections, and burns, and to improve on absorbency for Kenya’s tropical climate."

"The worst part about #MyAlwaysExperience is how most of us suffered in silence thinking it was our bodies that were acting up because of periods. We made excuses for a brand that did so well with having catchy songs on TV"

https://twitter.com/Valeria19220/status/1105565058044751873?s=20

" because of the shame that is often associated with periods and our reproductive organs, we have for a long time suffered in silence because of Always pads....#MyAlwaysExperience"

https://twitter.com/hwatindi/status/1106310451694977024

"I still have marks on my crotch where those things caused rashes and even cut my skin. it's just permanently discolored. imagine dealing with period pain and more pain from a pad.
@Always is a big joke #myalwaysexperience"

https://twitter.com/KattiePearl/status/1105563023874379781?s=20

This is Always Kenya which is a different market & different people in charge to the UK - but isn't it amazing how responsive P&G can be in removing any reference to females on their packaging whilst also ignoring 1000s of females suffering real physical harm from their products?

"The results of the testing indicate that both scented and unscented Always pads emit toxic chemicals, including chemicals identified...as carcinogens, & reproductive and developmental toxins. None of these chemicals are disclosed on the product"

https://twitter.com/follyfoot1/status/1186383449575362560?s=21

Women in the UK are being physically damaged by Always towels as well, but we're so used to putting up with debilitating periods - how many women have also experienced 'my pad burned my labia' & never said anything?

https://twitter.com/jowendes/status/1186385833156329472?s=21

"Always has good products in 'first world countries.' The fact that they bring us the worst toxic products made with plastic is incredibly racist because it perpetuates the racist notion that black women don't feel pain like white women"

https://twitter.com/gatwiri_ch/status/1105003147314036736?s=20

"This is about the millions of women who have to use ALWAYS products because they don't have any alternative. The available products need to be quality and safe for all."

https://twitter.com/gatwiri_ch/status/1105057267945271296

P&G get the credit for tackling period poverty - by cutting corners so the only affordable sanitary pads will burn your vulva

"In an attempt to #EndPeriodPoverty
@Always
is selling us substandard pads in the name of cheap and affordable."

https://twitter.com/samantha_maina_/status/1105421364352172033

"@PGKenya stop downplaying the candid concerns raised by WOMEN through #MyAlwaysExperience. Your disregard is malevolent! Listen, women and girls in Kenya won't continue to bear the brunt of harm, pain & discomfort. Always pads are poor quality. Terrible"

https://twitter.com/Nyandigaa/status/1105397559617613827?s=20

"Women have called out the big sanitary product for ignoring their concerns about the poor quality of sanitary pads. This was after the company sponsored a bunch of influencers to a luxurious weekend as part of the launch of their new brand of pads"

standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/artic…

"I think this campaign should be taken seriously by boycotting the product. Some of these multinationals take advantage of our rubbish enforcement agents to sell shitty products. Products they would never sell in the EU nor US markets"

standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/artic…

1 UK person w/ hurty gender feels: P&G are right on it!

A nation of African WOC in physical agony & victims of structural racism & misogyny?

"We Are Not Children Of A Lesser God. Women In Kenya Are Asking For Quality Always Pads Like Those In The International Market"

potentash.com/2019/03/18/alw…

"Silence can be oppressive.
I've had grown women fill up my DMs saying that they really thought the swelling, irritation & rashes were a normal part of the menstrual cycle.
I'm heartbroken to think of the many horrible cycles they have endured. 💔"

https://twitter.com/tugengirl/status/1105692894587953152?s=20

Oh & those scented pads that seem to be universally loathed? They don't just stink - but can be actively harmful to your health

“those scents react badly with your natural pH, you could be on the road to bacterial vaginosis and other infections.”

*Every pad* is now scented

"Let’s just get this out of the way ― the vagina is self-cleaning. It doesn’t require any sort of soap, chemical or perfume to make it “clean.” And it certainly doesn’t require a scented tampon or pad to hide period odor."

health.clevelandclinic.org/are-scented-ta…

"The scary truth is that adding chemicals and fragrance to one of the most sensitive areas of your body is a disaster waiting to happen."

“The idea that the vagina is dirty and needs to be cleaned is simply not true"

"Then why oh why are scented feminine products a thing you ask? "

"Because they play on women’s insecurities that something is wrong with them & that they smell
Newsflash: There are no specific products to make your vagina cleaner or smell better, even on your period. You don’t need to add internal perfume to your vagina to be considered clean"

"It’s a delicate environment down there and using scented feminine products can upset the balance of power between good and bad bacteria. The chemicals in these products can also throw your pH balance out of whack"

"Good vaginal bacteria exists to protect against infection and disease-causing organisms, such as bacterial vaginosis & yeast infections."

"An overgrowth of bad bacteria (usually brought on by a disruptive foreign source, like a scented tampon), could cause irritation, itching, infection or an allergic reaction."

“Alteration in pH levels and disturbance of normal bacteria is the same reason we also educate patients not to use vaginal douches. All these ‘hygiene’ products are not necessary for vaginal health.”

"The bottom line?

****Using scented feminine products only interferes with the natural process of your body.****"

Always used to have no scented pads/liners. Then some scented some not. Now even the 'unscented' ones aren't completely unscented. All of which are bad for vaginas

Tampax have gone a step further BTW
"Nowadays, you can get scented tampons, scented pads and scented panty liners. Indeed, Always promises its scented products come with a “ light, clean scent so you can feel fresh”. But women are not on board with this"

dailyedge.ie/why-scented-ta…

"Accidentally purchased scented tampons. SCENTED. TAMPONS. Because I really need a stick of perfume INSIDE my vagina? Annoyed."

https://twitter.com/KimberlyMayNot/status/508698101314781184?s=20

"There are scented tampons? The patriarchy is winning y'all. Your vagina is supposed to smell like vagina, not "clean linen".

https://twitter.com/diamonde/status/375798057226338305?s=20

"Women = 200,000yrs w/o having to cover "feminine scent." @Tampax now make "scented tampons." Since when did we need "Internal Fragrance?"

https://twitter.com/xangiexdx/status/567264994975182848?s=20

Things your vagina should not smell like:

Febreeze
The inside of a new car
A bowl of potpourri
Daisies

Things your vagina should smell like:

A vagina

Amazon review:

"UTIs are my favourite part!"

"Do not buy these. These should not be legal to sell - seeing how they are filled with chemicals & will leave you doubting the very reason you were born!"

Dr Vagina @DrJenGunter says vaginas don't need cleaning & she is a world vagina expert.

<Bangs gavel>

https://twitter.com/nesbitt_jill/status/1186399253037568005?s=21

(Let's also remember when a guy called Paul mansplained vaginas to a gynaecologist & vagina owner, & appreciate her handy venn diagram to remind us about the difference between the inny & outy parts)

https://twitter.com/DrJenGunter/status/1094677982948421637?s=20

Gah bollocksed up the thread.

Continue here:

https://twitter.com/wanderingwomb1/status/1186403101034663936?s=21

Reminder / PSA

The vagina isn't the name for the whole lower female genital tract

The vagina is the inside part

The part you can see is the vulva.

The clitoris is often described as pea-sized. WRONG. The bit you can see is just the tip: the glans clitoris. Like an iceberg there's way more going on under the surface. The clitoris has 2 shafts that extend inside the body & are actually about 10cm long
theatlantic.com/health/archive…

If you needed any reminder of how little importance is afforded to female bodies; the anatomy of the clitoris wasn't fully mapped until 2009*

Centuries of anatomical study & clitoris might as well have not existed

*or 1998 according to another article

io9.gizmodo.com/until-2009-the…

It wasn't until scientists used MRI to study the internal structure that they were able to observe the full anatomical scope of the clitoris in its 'excited' state, & how the erectile tissue engorges & surrounds the vagina

In the 1990s "Urologist Helen O’Connell of the Royal Melbourne Hospital set out to better understand the microscopic nerve supply to the clitoris using MRI, something that had already been done for men with regard to their sexual function in the 1970s."

centerforeroticintelligence.org/internal-clito…

"In 1998 she published her findings, informing the medical world of the true scope and size of the clitoris. Yet ironically that same year, men in America began popping Viagra to cure erectile dysfunction."

"In 2005 The American Urological Association published one of Dr. O’Connell’s reports on clitoral anatomy. The report itself even states, “The anatomy of the clitoris has not been stable with time as would be expected...."

"To a major extent its study has been dominated by social factors … Some recent anatomy textbooks omit a description of the clitoris. By comparison, pages are devoted to penile anatomy.”

(dawns on male Drs that female anatomy has been all but ignored vs the mighty penis)

"it wasn’t until as recent as 2009, French researchers Dr. Odile Buisson and Dr. Pierre Foldès gave the medical world it’s first complete 3-D sonography of the stimulated clitoris. They did this work for three years without any proper funding."

(Oh look, female anatomy ignored)

"Dr. Foldès has been performing surgery on women who have suffered from clitoral mutilation, restoring pleasure to over 3,000 patients. He also gets passionate about the lack of study with regards to the clitoris:...."

“When I returned to France to treat genital mutilation, I was amazed that they were never tried. The medical literature tells us the truth about our contempt for women. For three centuries, there are thousands of references to penile surgery, nothing on the clitoris..."

"..except for some cancers or dermatology, &nothing to restore its sensitivity. The very existence of an organ of pleasure is denied, medically. Today, if you look at the anatomy books that all surgeons have, you will find two pages above. There is a real intellectual excision.”

"So there you have it. As if all the repression, cultural influences, guilt, childhood imprints, and fear of being our true selves center stage in society weren’t enough, we also have the politics of medicine keeping us in the dark"