Tampax Radiant has launched #LiveRadiant – a campaign curated for Black women by Black women – and tapped menstrual advocate CeCe Jones-Davis and OB-GYN Dr. Kiarra King to aid in reversing cultural taboos and reinforce the importance of having the right information while encouraging the community to have open and honest dialogue about periods.
Even in 2019, period myths, miseducation and stigma are limiting Black women from receiving accurate information about their bodies, and their periods,. In fact, a new study by Tampax Radiant found 25% of African American women who prefer pads said they prefer them because they were not taught how to use tampons. Moreover, two in five African American women wish they started using tampons sooner in life and 55% said additional information on how to properly use a tampon would be useful.
“Unsafe, uncomfortable, only for sexually active women. After talking with women in the Black community across the country, we saw these are some of the common myths associated with tampons,” says Melissa Suk, Tampax associate brand director, at Procter & Gamble. “We found that 42% of Black women want to learn more about their periods from African American media and brands. We knew we needed to drive change, but in the right way - with the support of and knowledge from Black women themselves.”
Answering the call to provide information tailored to the community, Tampax Radiant launched #LiveRadiant – a campaign curated for Black women by Black women – and tapped menstrual advocate CeCe Jones-Davis and OB-GYN Dr. Kiarra King to aid in reversing cultural taboos and reinforce the importance of having the right information while encouraging the community to have open and honest dialogue about periods.
“So many women are scared to speak up about their periods, especially if they’ve been managing menstrual related problems for years,” affirms Dr. Kiarra King, OB-GYN. “It is shocking to see the number of women who come to my practice and either don’t know how to use tampons, or aren’t considering using tampons because of incorrect information or myths they’ve heard. I’m a huge proponent of educating and empowering women so they know their options.”
Tampax Radiant’s commitment to educating and empowering Black women includes the How to #LiveRadiant Playbook, a digital guide that provides step-by-step information on how to use tampons and dispels common myths about periods and period products in the community so nothing, not even her period, can dim her shine. The playbook comes to life with illustrations by color-obsessed visual artist Jade Purple Brown.
For the third year in a row, Tampax Radiant will be heading to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country to provide interactive educational experiences conceptualized and executed by HBCU alumnae.
