#Trending: This Product Cleans Out The Debris Of Leftover Menstrual Blood From Your Vagina. Why Do We Need To Floss Our Vagina?
I really don’t see what the big deal with menstruation is. Why does the idea of a woman bleeding freak everyone out to this extent? I don’t know if people think that there is burning lava in there or what but you know, it’s a woman thing and the general consensus for that is
Anyway, we are Hauterfly have written many many articles about menstruation, menstrual hygiene products and why it’s so important to destigmatize the idea. Today though, this article is not about any of that. In fact, it’s about a product that claims to be a menstrual hygiene product but in reality its the worst thing I have ever heard of. It’s worse than the idea of Donald Trump taking over the whole world. Actually, no, sorry, nothing is as bad as that but you see my point, don’t you?
Okay, now that I have built it up so much I might as well break it to you. What if I told you a company has created a product that is like a duster for your vagina while you are on your period? Damn, I can’t even think about it without shuddering involuntarily. And yes, it’s a real product called a Blossom Brush.
You see, a start-up called Blossom Brush Inc came up with this ingenious idea of selling a brush, sort of thing, that is designed to be used a woman while she is menstruating. The aim here is to, “remove residual blood and debris”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8APRqJjm_/
The rubber device is supposed to be inserted into the vagina once-daily while on your period to clean it out.
The brush looks like a cross between an eyebrow shaper and a tongue cleaner.. And oh, of course, it’s pink in colour. Because how else are people going to know it’s for women?. Although, this product is so problematic, that the colour is the least of our concerns.
The Blossom Brush was supposedly meant to, “help a woman feel more fresh and make her period more manageable”.
Now, I know a lot of us would try anything to make our period “more manageable” but I draw my line at shoving things with silicon grooves up my vagina to try and clean it. I’m sorry, I haven’t studied biology but isn’t that what periods are essentially? Cleaning all the impurities out of our system? Why do I need to an additional thing up there? As if periods weren’t uncomfortable enough. Besides, it’s like a toothbrush but for the vagina.
The product was called out on Twitter by Dr Jen Gunter, who’s famous for de-bunking “faux-feminist” products.
Also Read: #Inspiration: Tisca Chopra Is Writing A Book On Menstrual Health. We Need More Such Books For Young Girls
Every day it seems as if someone comes up with a new and thoroughly unnecessary, yet harmful vaginal cleaning product marketed as empowerment. I present to you today’s entry: pic.twitter.com/0onrVLc9mv
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) July 17, 2020
Tweeting a picture of it she wrote, “Every day it seems as if someone comes up with a new and thoroughly unnecessary, yet harmful vaginal cleaning product marketed as empowerment,” she said. “I present to you today’s entry.”
In the next tweet, she added, “The vagina isn’t a cupboard.” Is anyone else getting a Mahindra Watsa vibe from this tweet? Just me? Okay.
A lot of people commented on the post criticizing the product. Some even pointed out that it propels the stereotype of periods being dirty or impure.
Dr Brooke Vandermolen, an obstetrician and gynaecologist said that products like these can do more harm than good. She told HuffPost UK, “Vaginal cleansing or douching has been consistently shown to be harmful. The vaginal organisms are carefully regulated to maintain the ideal conditions to prevent infections and support the vaginal environment. Products such as this would risk disturbing the delicate lining of the vagina, increasing the risk of infections such as thrush and bacterial vaginosis.”
Ask any gynaecologist and they will tell you this product is bullshit. The vagina is an organ that can self-clean and products like these, despite being bright pink, do not actually serve any purpose.
Also Read: New Zealand To Give Out Free Menstrual Products To School-Going Girls To Help Tackle Period Poverty. Having A Female PM Really Helps
Saw my friend @bishopduxk tweet about this and had to investigate. It blows my mind that two women invented this torture device that is completely unnecessary and feeds into the stigma already surrounding menstruation. And all under the guise of empowerment pic.twitter.com/bxJXenZLLU
— Tanesha, BSN RN Karen Kryptonite (@ERnurse86) July 18, 2020
Dr Vandermolen also said, “Leftover menstrual blood does not have the potential to cause infections and will gradually leave the body with the natural secretions that form the vaginal discharge. It does not need a tool to physically cleanse the blood away and I would urge women to avoid purchasing products such as these which may cause more harm than any benefit.”
Following all this criticism, the people over at Blossom Brush Inc put out a statement on their social media pages saying that the product was created with “good intentions”. They also said that they have gotten positive feedback from all the women who have tried it.
In their statements, they’ve said, “The benefits have included less usage of tampons and a reduction in the number of days a woman required feminine hygiene products.”
They further added, “We do not believe that any person has a ‘dirty’ vagina and we wish to work with the gynaecological community and people who have periods to understand how to appropriately provide women with a new choice in their menstrual management.”
However, here comes the twist. After they put out those statements, it appears that all social media accounts and even the website of Blossom Brush Inc have been taken down. So, I guess they aren’t selling that ridiculous product anymore. I’d call that a win for menstruation.
But just humour me, why on earth would we need a product like that? Something that’s like a vacuum for the vagina? It really seems rather unnecessary, uncomfortable and clearly gynaecologists are super against it.
I get scared of using a tampon. This is madness.
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/akshay-kumar-is-asking-people-to-donate-sanitary-napkins-to-underprivileged-women-so-he-really-is-padman/
