A Finnish company has drawn the ire of anti-trans trolls online after launching a tampon product specifically marketed to transgender men and nonbinary individuals who menstruate.
Vuokkoset, a menstrual hygiene brand based in Finland, introduced the product during Transgender Awareness Week. It comes in a minimalist dark navy box emblazoned with the phrase “For Menstruation”, visually split across the packaging to read “For Men” on one side and “struation” on the other — a clever nod to its target audience.
“Periods aren’t just an issue for women, as trans men and nonbinary people may also have a womb and periods,” the company states on a dedicated website for the product.
The site also explains that while some trans men undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT), many still experience menstruation. Others may choose not to pursue HRT at all, meaning their cycles continue as normal.
Vuokkoset says the initiative is about raising awareness of how gendered menstrual products can cause distress and gender dysphoria among trans men. The company points to research showing that 93 percent of trans men experience menstruation-related gender dysphoria.
“When I was young, menstruation felt not only strange but somehow wrong. Our culture does not really acknowledge the diversity of menstruating individuals,” said DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) consultant Dakota Robin, who collaborated with Vuokkoset on the campaign and features in its promotional material.
While this isn’t the first time a menstrual care brand has acknowledged that not all people who menstruate are women — Tampax and UK company Callaly both took similar steps in 2020 — Vuokkoset’s tampon is believed to be the first product explicitly designed and marketed for trans men.
Currently sold as a limited edition in Finland, the tampons are expected to roll out more broadly early next year. Proceeds will go to Trasek, a Finnish organisation advocating for trans and intersex rights.
As expected, the campaign has become a lightning rod for backlash from right-wing and anti-trans voices on social media.
“This needs shutting down, bunch of clowns!” read one comment on Vuokkoset’s Instagram page.
Another person wrote: “If you have a period… YOU ARE NOT A MAN.”
Accusations of “woke marketing” and “pandering” were widespread, with one viral post from anti-trans X (formerly Twitter) account @2genders1truth claiming:
“They put tampons inside a box that says ‘for men’. Companies like Vuokkoset perpetuate a belief in ‘transgenderism’ out of pure self interest. They profit from creating a market of mutilated, medicalised, and confused women.”
In response to the backlash, Dakota Robin addressed critics in a candid Instagram post on 18 November.
“This is not a matter of opinion whether our society needs these products or not. The research speaks for itself, so we have people who need these products, whether you like it or not,” he wrote.
He added: “The campaign has aroused a lot of opinions and even open transphobia and hatred. By shaming, bullying, and harassing, prevailing stereotypes and norms have been and are still being maintained. Although the comments don’t hurt me, I know how it hurts my community and especially young people.”
Robin closed with a pointed message to his critics:
“If you don’t think I’m man enough, still I think we all agree that you need to have the balls to do this kind of move. So for all the transphobes I want to send peace & love and BIG D*CK ENERGY.”
