Let’s talk about the ‘birds and the bees’
Periods and sex are probably not the first things you thought about when switching to a vegan lifestyle. But due to the production methods, materials and animal experiments used to produce many mainstream period and sex-related products, it is so important that we do talk about these topics.
In our guide, we’ll discuss why not all tampons, sanitary towels and condoms are vegan-friendly, with a note on lubricants and sex toys, as well as the effects these items can have on the environment when thrown away.
Periods
Did you know that at any given time, 800 million people worldwide are menstruating? On average, a girl, woman or transgender person will menstruate once a month, for around 35 to 40 years of their lifetime — according to Water Aid, that equates to roughly eight years’ worth of periods during an individual’s lifetime! (wateraid.org) All that menstruating requires a lot of sanitary products.
Animal cruelty
Since sanitary products are considered ‘medical appliances’ they must undergo high-grade testing to pass strict safety regulations, namely those associated with causing dangerous effects on the menstruating body, like Toxic Shock Syndrome
