Fighting Period Stigma

I’m not sure anyone enjoys getting their period. From the bloating and cramps, to mood swings and breakouts, Aunt Flo always seems to have something unpleasant up her sleeve. And as if it wasn’t already hard enough to deal with period symptoms, menstruation itself has long been shrouded in stigma and shame, creating a culture of misinformation and discomfort that can have a huge impact on people who menstruate. That’s why we’re ready to cut through the period stigma for good.

This month, we’re partnering with Ruby Love, a period apparel company that specializes in reusable period panties, swimsuits, and more. Their entire mission? Helping people with periods feel more comfortable and confident while combating the awkwardness and shame that so many of us grew up with. 

Keep reading to learn more about period stigma and how it affects women and young girls especially. 

What is period stigma? 

At any given time, over 300 million people in the world are on their period. And while periods are as natural as any other bodily function, they’ve carried negative, harmful associations and stereotypes with them for a long time. 

Period stigma shows up in a variety of ways. On the extreme end, miseducation and stigma around periods can lead to people being treated as unclean and harmful. For example, in many parts of the world, girls on their period are not allowed to enter public spaces. Even if they are allowed out of their house, lack of things like period hygiene products or running water prevents them from going to school. This can lead to girls missing out on up to 20% of the school year, and making it much harder for them to complete their education, putting them at a much higher risk of child marriage and early pregnancy. 

Even in places where extreme stigma and period poverty aren’t as prevalent, negative myths and stereotypes continue to hold women and girls back. Many of these biases stem from a lack of education around menstruation and women’s hormonal cycle. These myths and biases range from the almost comical (touching food on your period will make it go bad faster), to purely misogynistic (the idea that women on their period are overly sensitive or impulsive). 

Over time, these negative perceptions create shame, fear, and awkwardness, especially in young girls. Thankfully, companies like Ruby Love are stepping up to help people embrace their periods. 

How Ruby Love is fighting period shame and stigma

“No fear, no stopping, no hiding, no embarrassment”. That’s what Ruby Love is all about. Founder Crystal Etienne gets it - periods are tough, and having a safe, comfortable, and stress-free period isn’t as easy as it should be. That’s why she started developing her no-leak technology back in 2015. Instead of settling for “products that were designed decades ago, are uncomfortable, and which fail us constantly”, she spent countless hours developing over 100 prototypes to create the perfect pair of comfortable, secure, and leak-proof period underwear. And thus, Ruby Love was born, with a mission of helping everyone with a period get through their cycle worry-free. 

Why we’re partnering with Ruby Love

We absolutely love any company that’s all about empowering people to feel their best. We also love shouting out brands that not only have a commitment to people with periods, but a commitment to the planet. Thanks to their products’ reusable design, Ruby Love is helping keep disposable pads and tampons out of landfills. 

We’re super excited to partner with Ruby Love for their Monthly Period Kit, a subscription-based kit that provides young people with periods with all the period essentials (and fun surprises!) they need to have the best period possible. And this month, each box will come with our best-selling Brightening Facial Serum pads! 

Know someone that could use a period pick-me-up? Surprise them with a Monthly Period Kit subscription from Ruby Love!