Choose to Challenge Menstruation Taboos

By Rachel Donovan Geller & Melanie Pitson, MOONS Co-Founders 

This year’s International Women’s Month theme, “Choose to Challenge”, resonates deeply with us here at MOONS. As two female founders, we set out to create a company that challenges the status quo of the fem care industry and to provide innovative products that educate and empower women to better understand, connect with, and embrace their bodies. 

For centuries, women of all ages have experienced shame and embarrassment from the start of their menstruation all the way through menopause. That’s, on average, 40 years of dealing with unexpected leaks, fear, and insecurity—for an experience that 50% of the population has monthly. Compound that with the cultural taboos and stigmas that have long prevailed: even in 2021 there is a deep lack of resources available to men and boys to educate them about girls’ and women’s cycles. For all these reasons, and so many others, 60% of women and girls continue to report period shaming today. 

At MOONS, our aim is to change that by challenging how we ALL speak about the subject. This is why we named our company MOONS in the first place. Yes, it is for the long associations between menstrual cycles and lunar cycles, but also as a way to signal our desire to bring light to a historically dark subject and create new language that everyone can more easily embrace.  

Through our MOONS community, we’ll be introducing new ways to talk about women’s cycles, bodies and experiences—upending historical stigmas and inviting everyone, including men and boys, to join in as well. We’ll be introducing new, one-of-a-kind, direct-to-consumer products to help every woman take command of every aspect of her cycle throughout every phase of her life. From the design of our packaging to content we feature online, we’ll provide educational materials and resources to make a woman’s monthly moon an experience filled with compassion, community, and respect. 

This month, we’re launching our debut product, duets™, a tampon + liner combination that’s proven to provide superior protection against leaks. We’re proud to claim that no other company has designed a Tandem Protection System until now. 

We invite you to join our community during International Women’s Month. In the spirit of this year’s theme, may we all challenge ourselves to elevate the narrative surrounding women’s cycles, bodies, and experiences.

After all, there’s no better time for new beginnings than under a new moon.