Vaginal Health Week 2024
A Call to Action for Menstrual and Intimate Care Equity
What is Vaginal Health Week?
Founded in 2021 by Women’s Voices for the Earth, Vaginal Health Week is more than just a time for discussion and education; it’s a movement aimed at breaking down stigma, shedding light on topics not often discussed publicly, advocating for the rights of individuals who menstruate, inspiring needed health research and driving change towards a healthier future. It serves as a week of action to collectively call for improved practices, policies, and standards that impact vaginal health. This includes menstrual products, intimate care products, and much more.
This year, Vaginal Health Week will take place from October 21, 2024 – October 27, 2024. Take an action each day with us throughout the week to break down stigma and advocate for better standards in vaginal health. Don’t forget to use #VaginalHealthWeek24 when you share these actions with your friends and colleagues!
How to Get Involved?
We’re calling all activists and concerned consumers from far and wide to raise your voices throughout the week to help bring us closer to our goal of a future free from the impacts of toxic chemicals. Click the button below to download our digital toolkit.
| Day 1: Monday, October 21 | Action: Share Your Story! |
Have you been impacted by the effects of toxic ingredients in an intimate care product? Has your health and wellness been altered after using an intimate care product that contains boric acid or other toxic chemicals? Testimonies such as yours are evidence that change is needed now in the way intimate care companies produce and market their products! Share your story today to show intimate care companies that your voice regarding your body is essential in the development of products created for vaginas!
| Day 2: Tuesday, October 22 | Take Action on our Summer’s Deceive Campaign! |
Call on Summer’s Eve to remove boric acid from their daily use products, ensure clear and accurate labeling that reflects the potential risks, and prioritize consumer safety by committing to transparency and responsible marketing. We’re asking for folks to call and/or email Summers Eve’s leadership. Click the button below to call Summer’s Eve Headquarters or email Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc CEO, Ron Lombardi.
| Day 3: Wednesday, October 23 | Action: Attend our Intimate Care 201 Webinar |
Tune into our webinar, “Intimate Care Products 201” on Wednesday, October 23rd at 2PM ET/11AM PT. Here we’ll dive into the importance of the vaginal microbiome, explore various types of intimate care products, and discuss how these products disproportionately affect the health of different communities. Plus, we’ll share actionable steps you can take to protect your health and contribute to safer practices across the industry! Registration is required. Click below!
| Day 4: Thursday, October 24 | Action: Submit Public Comment to the FDA |
Take action and tell the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to uphold its responsibility to keep intimate care products safe. We recently filed a Petition asking them to create official guidance for manufacturers on how to make intimate care products safe for vaginal health. We have found that companies (like Summer’s Eve) keep adding toxic chemicals that are inappropriate for vaginal exposure to their intimate care products. It has to stop!
Read more about WVE’s FDA Citizen Petition on our blog here. Click below to take action now!
| Day 5: Friday, October 25 | Action: Host an Our Stories Our Flow Workshop! |
Sign up to host an interactive conversation in your community to center and de-stigmatize the way we talk about, experience, or have experienced menstruation AND to understand safe, sustainable reproductive health products for all ages. We need to have conversations about our periods and share our stories with our communities. We also know that each community is unique and needs to have its own conversations, so these are meant to be customizable and adaptable to your audience and community.
Upon sign-up, we will send you a training packet to help you facilitate your own event. These workshops are customizable to suit your audience, ensuring that each conversation is relevant and impactful.
| Day 6: Saturday, October 26 | Action: Support WVE’s Work for a Healthier Future |
Now that we’ve raised awareness, let’s come together to raise funds for vaginal health! Join us for a special donation day. This progress we’ve made in the fight for safer intimate care products has been made possible with the support of donations. This Vaginal Health Week, take the next step in your activism journey. Donate to WVE and empower dynamic leaders and movements, equipping them to be resilient and sustainable in the fight for a world where vaginal health is stigma-free, prioritized, and accessible.
| Day 7: Sunday, October 27 | Action: Raise Awareness for Vaginal Health! |
Don’t forget to engage across social media and continue to spread awareness! Learn from individuals like you who will share personal stories about what WVE means to them. Every single action, from advocating for safer products to donating, adds up to a significant leap forward for our mission. Together, we can ensure that the dialogue, policies, and corporate practices that impact people’s vaginal health are inclusive, informed and influential. Stay updated with events throughout the week by making sure that you are following us on social media using #VaginalHealthWeek2024. Download the digital toolkit to stay engaged and share with your network!
Instagram: @womensvoices | LinkedIn: @Womens Voices for the Earth | Facebook: @Womens Voices for the Earth
Why Does This Matter?
Breaking the Stigma: Vaginal health is often shrouded in stigma and silence. By promoting open conversations, Vaginal Health Week aims to dismantle these taboos, fostering a culture of understanding and support.
Health and Safety: Understanding the ingredients in menstrual and intimate care products is vital. Many widely used products contain harmful chemicals that can affect health. This week encourages consumers to advocate for safer, non-toxic options and to demand transparency from manufacturers.
