Image Source (Huffington Post Canada)
Very rarely in the media do we see examples of men understanding or appreciating what women experience when they menstruate.
Late last year, a comment from a young boy became a viral sensation when he claimed that women should simply hold onto their menstrual blood as you would hold your bladder, until they can access a toilet.
Comments like this are not humorous, nor are they newsworthy, but instead they are actually concerning and uncomfortable, as it sheds light on the fact that menstrual education has been so far overlooked that men actually believe that periods and urination are essentially the same process and can be handled in the same way.
Well, yet again there has been another example of men missing the mark when it comes to menstruation.
A chiropractor in Kansas has created a product called ‘Mensez’ which he claims he can glue the labia lips together, holding menstrual blood inside the body until you go to the bathroom. The formal advertisement for the glue compares it to waking up with dry lips, and licking them to allow your mouth to open.
So yet again, another male has compared menstruation to urination in the sense that the blood can be held inside the body until it can be released in the bathroom…..really?
The advertisement isn’t even capable of using the word ‘vagina’, it actually just refers to the area as ‘downunder’. We can actually hear women all over the world sighing at this one. Are we really still experiencing issues with naming the human anatomy correctly?
Not to mention the fact that this product is actually designed specifically for a vagina yet the campaign won’t even use the word vagina!
Here’s a thought…. if urine can unstick the lipstick then wouldn’t menstrual blood have the same effect, which defeats the purpose of the entire product?
The entire concept behind this product is sealing your vagina lips and essentially sealing the lips on your mouth about menstruation as well. It is essentially a product that says ‘please seal up your vagina during menstruation as nobody wants to know or hear about it.’
The final straw was the inventors comments on a male having developed the product, where he was actually quoted as saying “Yes I am a man, and you as women should have come up with better solutions than diapers and plugs but you didn’t.”
That quote is insulting on a number of levels. However one part of it really sticks which is the comment on “diapers and plugs”. Has Dopp even analysed the feminine hygiene market in the past couple of years? Menstruation has met with innovation and sustainability to create products such as menstrual cups and period underwear which are not only better protecting women but also ensuring our environment is protected against landfill. Not to mention, period underwear such as Modibodi cannot ever be compared to a "diaper" in fact, its the furthest thing from it! This underwear is comfortable, stylish and protective.
When we have worked for so long to build a culture where women no longer need to be silenced and afraid during menstruation, this product is a disaster.
We are entering an era of unprecedented change and advancements, particularly in the field of female rights and empowerment. We also live in an age where previously stigmatized subjects such as menstruation and feminine hygiene products are becoming more commonly discussed through open conversation and education.
As the Founder of Modibodi, which aims to empower women and help them feel more confident comfortable and protected from periods, pelvic floor issues or perspiration, it is truly disheartening to see a product such as this as it grossly oversimplifies the female form and insults the entire function of menstruation. It will never be able to comprehend the protection women actually need and how to achieve it, not to mention it further fosters the negative stigma around menstruation and contributes to the already established issue of a lack of education on the matter, particularly amongst men.
Modibodi is the company where comfort and purpose meets innovation, and we strongly believe that periods and makeup type applicators have no reason to mix and sincerely hope that Mensez lipstick applicator doesn't see the light of day.
Ladies, if you think this labia glue has any chance of protecting you against menstrual leaks then we strongly urge you to think again.
In the way of innovation, look to sustainability and comfort such as Modibodi before turning to an inconceivable product such as this.
