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Original poster

This is progress? Woolworths and feminine hygiene

62 replies

IrishMumInLondon2020 · 26/02/2021 13:52

I despair. Feminine hygiene has now been renamed ‘period care’.

Because boys and men can have periods too.

Is this meant to be progress?

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 26/02/2021 14:18

Yes, 'period care' is fine, so long as they've not obliterated all reference to females, women and girls from product information.

newyearnewname123 · 26/02/2021 14:14

I was going to query Woolworths but I see you are in Australia.

I was so confused, they closed years ago.

Jointhecircus · 26/02/2021 14:09

Period care is fine, and loads better than feminine hygiene!

Whatwouldscullydo · 26/02/2021 14:09

I'm OK with things being called period care.

However feminine hygiene was one of the last indicators of who the products were even for that's left of any of it any more. In that sense it's probably not so great its been changed.

eddiemairswife · 26/02/2021 14:08

I was going to query Woolworths but I see you are in Australia.

CarolJordan · 26/02/2021 14:06

I'm ok with it.

Feminine hygiene was always cringey. There's nothing feminine about periods. Female, yes. Feminine? Nope. (And I object to feminine as a concept in general. It is unachievable for me and part of patriarchal sexism).

But the hygiene? It always seemed to imply that periods were unhygienic.

So I'm ok with period care. It's a bit more of a spade being a spade.

(Until they start making tomato juice freeze pops or something...)

EdgeOfACoin · 26/02/2021 14:06

I prefer period care, tbh.

Periods aren't unsanitary or unhygienic. It would be much more accurate to call toilet paper 'hygiene products'.

I'm not sure what Woolworths' intention was, but I think the ultimate result is fine.

letmeadoreyou · 26/02/2021 14:04

According to the managing director:

'This is a change we can make today that will help debunk the stigma of calling a period what it is and will help many young women grow up feeling less shame or embarrassment, so we're excited to introduce this in Australia.'

I'm struggling to see an issue with this. She even refers specifically to 'young women.' Is there an article I have missed, or are you simply making assumptions?

Aspiringmatriarch · 26/02/2021 14:01

I prefer period care. Feminine hygiene always struck me as unnecessarily prissy. It is period care, surely?

MedusasBadHairDay · 26/02/2021 14:01

I'm good with calling it period care rather than the twee euphemism feminine hygiene, especially as the hygiene part suggests it's to deal with something unhygienic.

RedskyBynight · 26/02/2021 13:59

Have Woolworths said that is the reason?

I actually see this as a positive step - why not call a period a period, rather than hiding it behind a euphemism as if it's something shameful?

PotholeParadies · 26/02/2021 13:58

I didn't expect to say this, but I may be okay with that. I'm open to persuasion why it's a change for the worse, but feminine hygiene has always bothered me for reasons I couldn't quite put my finger on.

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