Feminine Hygiene






 What does ‘feminine hygiene’ actually mean?

As it’s primarily used, “feminine hygiene” doesn’t really mean anything.

It’s nothing more than a marketing ploy. One that’s based in transphobic, misogynistic values designed to make cisgender women feel ashamed of their genitals, and therefore buy so-called feminine hygiene products.

The (false) message: Using these products makes you (and your genitals) clean, while not using them makes you dirty.

“While the phrase ‘feminine hygiene’ is often used to make people with vaginas feel dirty, the goal of the phrase is recognizing the unique qualities of the parts that make up the vulva and the vaginal canal,” explains Felice Gersh, MD, author of “PCOS SOS: A Gynecologist’s Lifeline to Naturally Restore Your Rhythms, Hormones, and Happiness.”

So, actually, a better, more accurate phrase would be vulvar/vaginal hygiene.

If you’re wondering why the phrase “vulvar hygiene” would *not* suffice, here’s a quick anatomy lesson:

  • The vagina = the internal part of the genitals. It’s the canal where things like tampons and dildos can go.
  • The vulva = the external parts of the genitals, which include the pubic mount, inner and outer labia, clitoris, and the vestibule.

And as Gersh notes, here we want to be talking about both parts.

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