Despite the prevalence of the phenomenon, menstruation remains shrouded in secrecy and stigma. In many health classes in the United States, health educators teach young girls about periods in rooms that deliberately nestle them away from young boys. When the dreaded experience unexpectedly hits us at a public event or outing, women, despite our knowledge of its normalcy, find ourselves asking for period products in hushed tones and whispers. Amidst the culture of shame surrounding the feminized body, one brand is leading the charge to change our attitudes surrounding periods. Meet August, a trailblazing company dedicated to eradicating period stigma and reimagining menstrual health.
We spoke with co-founder Nadya Okamoto about the story of August, the brand’s overarching goals within the menstrual health space, and future directives. She defines the organization as “the answer to so many pain points [she] felt in earlier chapters of [her] career”. When it comes to initiatives surrounding menstrual and reproductive health, the establishment of August is merely the tip of the iceberg. Nadya worked in the non-profit period advocacy space and as a consultant, influencer, and author, all towards the head goal of destigmatizing periods. August was born out of Nadya’s desire for more.
“Through all the former partnerships I had with other period care brands, I kept feeling the desire for a more sustainable and transparent period care brand, that could really lead by example with creating a more period positive world.”
August offers a range of high-quality, organic menstrual products—tampons, pads, and liners. They also provide a digital platform that functions as an educational resource on menstrual health and a safe space for their community to share their experiences. Among their specific products are customizable period boxes, travel essential boxes, and their period journal for tracking. They are currently available online and at Targets all over the country. “Our overarching goals are to redefine the narrative around periods, make high-quality period care accessible and affordable, and to create an inclusive community where everyone feels safe and empowered to talk about their periods.”
While the pervasiveness of period stigma is well-known, part of the work of August is identifying specific deficiencies in care to drive sustainable solutions. “At August, we actively seek to identify gaps in period care through our community conversations and surveying of our community too,” says Nadya. The process of writing and publishing her book, Period Power, in 2018, taught Nadya to organically evaluate and analyze conditions surrounding menstruation. “l hope that in identifying the needs for destigmatizing periods, making more accessible educational content about periods and puberty, we can work towards solutions with our work both via product, content, and our fast-growing platform.”
While the language surrounding leadership is often flowery and impressive, being among the few working to unpack deeply ingrained beliefs is a tough job that presents unique challenges. For August, recent examples include Hulu rejecting their TV advertisement because it showed 1.5 seconds of fake period blood; their videos regularly getting taken down on their social media platforms for showing or mentioning periods, and being limited to advertise in ways that other businesses do with leisure because of the restrictions imposed on the menstrual health space.
The culture of shame and the challenges it presents does not overshadow the wins, however. “It’s incredibly rewarding when we observe tangible change — when people feel more comfortable discussing their periods or when we can provide someone with the menstrual products they need,” explained Nadya.
While Nadya believes in the transformative potential of her work, she understands that a longitudinal solution requires intensive work from many spheres.
“I hope we can push towards a society where periods are openly discussed without stigma, and comprehensive and medically accurate information about periods and puberty is taught in schools. To achieve this, we need policy reform, education, and brands like August that challenge the status quo and actively work towards menstrual equity.”
Read more about August here.
