INTIMINA and PERIOD. Team Up to Fight Period Poverty in Honor of Menstrual Hygiene Day
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- INTIMINA, the international women's health care brand, has teamed up with PERIOD., the largest youth-powered NGO and prominent thought leader at the forefront of the Menstrual Movement, to raise awareness around period poverty.
From May 18 to June 14, INTIMINA will embark on an activation to celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day and all that it stands for, donating $5 for every menstrual cup sold on intimina.com to PERIOD.'s charitable efforts. The event, lasting 28 days OR the length of an average menstrual cycle, aims to distribute relief and spread the message of period poverty far and wide, in order to ensure fairness is reflected in legislation for menstruators everywhere.
Officially taking place on May 28, 2020, Menstrual Hygiene Day is dedicated to solving the issue of period poverty around the world through education and advocacy. In the US, feminine hygiene products have traditionally not been considered 'essential goods', which prohibits women from purchasing them using federally funded financial aid programs. In addition, period products are taxed in many US states, whereas products that are labeled as 'essential goods' such as toilet paper are not! This tax, in conjunction with frequency of need and heightening price points, causes menstrual products to be inaccessible for disadvantaged menstruators.
BUT times are changing, as PERIOD. continues to bring awareness to the subject, working to distribute product donations for marginalized communities through youth-based chapters of bright-eyed volunteers on a daily basis. To date, PERIOD has addressed over 1 million periods through product distribution and registered over 700 PERIOD chapters in all 50 US states and in over 40 countries. In the United States, 30 states still allow a tax on menstrual products. PERIOD. and INTIMINA share the same goal of living in a world where the importance of eliminating the period tax is reinforced in legislation by all 50 states.
Throughout the COVID-19 health crisis, PERIOD. has been continuously working to relieve the drastic deficit of feminine hygiene products in marginalized communities that are being hit hardest by the crisis. During this recent time of crisis, PERIOD has added 85 new PERIOD chapters and has had over 2 million period products donated. PERIOD Warrior activists attend online policy bootcamps on period advocacy efforts to designate menstrual supplies as essential goods.
"Supporting PERIOD with this purchase allows us to distribute period supplies to menstruators in need. In these urgent times, your donation will help lessen period poverty across the country," says Nadya Okamoto, Founder of PERIOD. Inc.
INTIMINA's current #WhileBleeding campaign celebrates resilient women's stories like that of Nadya's, who throughout history, blazed through struggles and achievements that forged their successes. The new #WhileBleeding video story series by INTIMINA shines a spotlight on the unique strengths found in women that makes them unstoppable while dealing with challenges and while bleeding, all at the same time. The videos bring light to modern women's stories, empowering and inspiring viewers to never give up on their dreams.
Emily (25) didn't start her periods until the age of 20 because she had a very severe eating disorder, anorexia. These days she runs her successful nutrition business in London. In her video she shared her experience: "Because I was so malnourished I lost the year process which gave me the willpower to want to recover. So, getting my period was a goal that I was so happy to reach. To know I was bleeding was exciting because I got to a point when I could conceive and reverse the effects of the lost year process and I reached a certain life stage where I could move forward. That was a special moment for me. It felt like an award."
Annie (26) is a professional sprinter for Team GB and she shared her story: "I have always had painful periods but learned never to use medication because of what I do. I just have the mindset to keep training, it is something embedded in me, so I always just keep going. I remember getting ready for the 4x100m relay and I was crouching down in pain before the race when one of my competitors came to comfort me saying Come on, Annie, you need to run for just 10 seconds and it will all be over. I had to quickly forget about the pain because I couldn't let my teammates down. And I got on the line and ended up winning. It was a challenge!"
Emilie (26) has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) so initially suffered from painful periods, vomiting, heavy bleeding, and diarrhea until she went on the birth control pill at 15 years old. In her video, she says: "My periods being so painful and the diagnosis made me feel stuck and worried I would be like this 12 times a year. I asked the doctor if I could have a hysterectomy at 15 - it was that bad. Today, I am in a good place and my strength is due to looking after myself physically and mentally."
With the COVID-19 epidemic, these are one of the most challenging times the world has seen. We can all find comfort and strength in others, like in so many women around us that inspire and bring hope. We can share these and other stories alike and help ourselves and people around us to face all fears and challenges and come out from all battles as winners.
About INTIMINA: Established in 2009, INTIMINA is a Swedish brand, offering a complete line of products for women's intimate well-being. With three areas of specialization, Menstrual Care, Pelvic Floor Strengthening, and Feminine Wellness, INTIMINA's offering encompasses products for women of all ages and all stages of life. Each product is made from the highest quality of body-safe material, and has been designed and tested with the support of a worldwide group of medical consultants and gynecologists. For more information visit intimina.com.
About PERIOD.: PERIOD. was founded in 2014 by Nadya Okamoto, a 22-year-old Harvard student from Portland, Oregon PERIOD is a global, youth-powered non profit that fights to end period poverty and period stigma through service, education and advocacy. Since 2014 they have addressed over one million periods and registered over 700 campus chapters in all 50 states and 40 other countries. Nadya recently published her debut book, Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement with publisher Simon & Schuster, which made the Kirkus Reviews list for Best Young Adult Nonfiction of 2018. She is included in the latest cohorts of Forbes 30 under 30, Bloomberg 50 "Ones to Watch" and People Magazine's Women Changing the World.
SOURCE INTIMINA
