YouTubers and Instagrammers from different parts of India came forward to lend their support for #FixYourPeriods, a first-of-its-kind digital campaign that aimed to create large-scale social awareness on modern methods of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among Indian girls and women. The campaign that lasted for over a month was conceived and executed by everteen, a feminine hygiene products brand owned by Wet and Dry Personal Care, a PAN Health initiative that ships products globally. The campaign was supported by the Women Health Organization (WoHO), Indian Medical Academy for Preventive Health (IMAPH) and HEAL Foundation. A massive online success, the campaign generated approximately 1 million views and engaged nearly 100,000 women who posted their comments and queries regarding use of menstrual cups.

 

Social media influencers from Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal took part in this campaign. Besides English, these social media champions also created user-friendly content in regional languages including Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.

 

Hariom Tyagi, CEO of Wet and Dry Personal Care, said, “As the complete feminine hygiene expert, everteen has continually taken leadership to create awareness on menstrual and feminine hygiene over the years. Since 2014, our everteen Menstrual Hygiene Surveys have mapped emerging trends and preferences of Indian women. We are also one of the participating members of the global Menstrual Hygiene Day held annually with support of UNICEF, USAID and other organizations.”

 

Highlighting the role of video-based learning in creating awareness through the #FixYourPeriods campaign, Mr. Tyagi added, “Creating awareness on complete feminine hygiene is the need of the hour, and video-based education has emerged as one of the most effective means for it. Statistics show that in India, mobile video consumption has grown to as high as 73%. In fact, KPMG estimates that India will have more than 500 million online video subscribers by 2023. everteen salutes the immense contributions of YouTube and Instagram bloggers, who helped harness multiplier effect in creating unprecedented awareness on menstrual cups and have impacted the quality of life of Indian women in dealing with periods. These bloggers displayed inspiring creativity through fun and engaging mascots such as Cupwati and dramatizing real-life issues that women undergo during periods.”

 

Through the #FixYourPeriods campaign, everteen gave Indian women an open forum to clarify doubts so that they could make better informed choices in adopting modern menstrual hygiene methods. As many as 20% of the girls were unaware that menstrual cups allow them to pursue outdoor activities with ease. Another 8% of the women did not know that menstrual cups created a vacuum seal that provided them leak-proof protection during periods. Nearly 10% of the girls wanted a reassurance that using menstrual cups will not cause any risk of infection. They learnt that good quality period cups made from medical-grade silicone are among the most skin-friendly and safe. The social media influencers also helped girls understand how to choose the right size of the menstrual cup suitable for them, how to insert and remove the menstrual cup, different types of folds, do’s and don’ts, things to keep in mind while choosing the right menstrual cup and several other aspects. The campaign busted myths and helped create awareness on a growing body of medical research that is in line with the huge popularity of this menstrual hygiene method.

 

The everteen #FixYourPeriods campaign was launched the same week when The Lancet Public Health Journal’s published the world’s first-ever systematic review and meta-analysis of the international use of menstrual cups. This review stressed on the need for practice, peer support and training to initiate women in adopting menstrual cups. According to a 2018 data published by World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 3.73 billion women in the world, out of which 1.9 billion, or 52% women are of reproductive age, implying that they are menstruating. This constitutes roughly 26% of the world’s entire population that need menstrual hygiene management.

 

In a transparent point-based metric system, #FixYourPeriods campaign team rated YouTubers and Instagrammers across criteria based on reach, influence and awareness of their social media posts. Mangalore-based Kannada YouTuber Priya Monica scored the highest to emerge as the first prize winner of everteen’s #FixYourPeriods, campaign. Khushboo Rajendra Chawda from Mumbai was the runner-up winner. Ten other social media influencers from different parts of the country were also recognized for their winning contributions. One of the high points of this unique initiative is that the content created on YouTube and Instagram will help girls and women seek accurate and comprehensive information on menstrual cups for years to come, thanks to the long tail nature of the digital media.