Get A Grip: Ireland Bans Tampon Ad For Being 'Vulgar'
In the year 2020, Ireland has banned a tampon ad for being ‘vulgar’ – Yes you read that correctly!
Last week as I was scrolling through social media, I was startled to discover that an educational tampon ad named ‘tampons and tea!’ had been banned in Ireland. This advert - which talked about how to correctly insert a tampon and what to do if you found inserting them painful - was deemed ‘vulgar’ by the ASAI, Ireland’s advertising authority, after it received 150 complaints in a country that is home to over 4 million people. The offending statements included “You gotta get ’em up there, girls!” and “Not just the tip, up to the grip!” . The banning of an educational advert talking about menstruation issues is yet another disappointing example of Ireland’s problem with menstruation and all things womxn’s health. You can check out the ad here.
Growing up in Ireland, whether North or South, the attitudes towards periods are shame, stigma and taboo. I got my period as a young child aged 10; I will always remember the shock and fear associated with it - I had not been taught about menstruation, but my Ma had told me about it in passing. I was not excited or happy; I remember crying and feeling devastated, mostly because I couldn’t tell anyone other than my mother. Periods were not something that people celebrated, it was something to be suffered and suffered alone. Even my mother - who is a vocal feminist and active pro-choicer - still hid her pads away in the back of the wardrobe to ensure they were out of the male gaze. It was only when I moved to England, that I discovered people left their pads in the bathroom. It made perfect sense, instead of doing the change and run to your bedroom, why wouldn’t you keep your sanitary products in the bathroom cabinet?
Periods and menstruation are not something that you were brought up to talk about: as kids you were taught that periods and childbirth were caused by the sin of Eve eating the apple, so of course it was something associated with shame and punishment. This early language and culture conditions people with periods to feel like they cannot talk about them, that it is something that should be hidden at all costs, and it is this language and culture that caused 150 people to make a complaint. Ironically, condom and Viagra adverts are not banned - but of course that feeds into the conditioning of society. Women’s things are private and not to be discussed in public: don’t leave it in the bathroom, get back into your bedroom cupboard.
As someone who cannot use tampons due to pain, but would like to be able to use them in the future (hanging onto the dream), an advert like this would have been incredibly useful and helpful. Often it can be hard to know how to insert a tampon right, as it is not something many of us have been taught in school. This educational information is vital and should not be censored because the language is deemed ‘vulgar’. What really is vulgar is that advertising bodies feel it is acceptable to police the bodies of people who menstruate. Yes you can talk about periods: but only in a way that we deem to be fit and acceptable.
This whole system of conditioning has a direct impact on womxn’s health. In Ireland the average delay for a diagnosis of Endometriosis is 9 years as opposed to 7.5 in the UK. In Northern Ireland, the UK delay is vaguely referred to, but many people I speak with state that it has taken them over a decade to have their opinion taken seriously. When we make periods shameful and a taboo, then it is very hard for people to feel safe and supported when opening up about the often seriously negative impact their periods have had on their lives.
But it’s not all grim; things are definitely changing in Ireland, and there are organisations that are actively trying to challenge these attitudes. Homeless Period Ireland and Homeless Period Belfast encourage positive dialogue around menstruation: they offer a supportive environment in which people can learn, celebrate and support others in need of menstrual products. They shine a light on period poverty, offer a safe place for education, and most importantly help ensure that people who need periods products can access them - all due to their tireless activism.
There is absolutely nothing shameful about periods. There is nothing vulgar, and adverts like this play an important role in helping to normalise the conversation about this natural part of life. Since the ad has been banned, there has been outcry. Many people have even posted tampons to the ASAI offices. People talking about periods should not be silenced, and those offering educational advice should not be censored. The people who menstruate in Ireland deserve this. I personally urge anyone out there who is so horrified by the fact that we bleed to ‘get a grip!’ . You cannot silence us any longer.
Written by Sarah Rose
Sarah Rose is a freelance writer from Belfast who writes about all things pelvic pain. She uses her Instagram platform mypelvicpain to share her journey with endometriosis and raise awareness around this condition and its impact on her life. Sarah’s sole aim is to help others and ensure that no one ever has to suffer in silence again.