In an effort to combat stigma around periods and ignite conversations around menstrual health, wellness brand Intimina has launched Period Crunch, a uterus-shaped breakfast cereal.
The launch was inspired by a study from the wellness brand, which showed that close to 50 percent of people are too embarrassed to talk about their period, while approximately 77 percent have never mentioned their period in everyday conversations at home, including at the kitchen table.
Research from the brand also showed that 82 percent of people cannot correctly identify where the uterus is located.
The Period Crunch cereal box includes conversation prompts, as well as a diagram of the internal reproductive system so people can identify where the uterus is located in the body.
Intimina created the menstrual-themed cereal as part of its ongoing Seen + Heard period positivity campaign, which aims to “normalize and increase the visibility of menstrual wellbeing.”
“Periods are normal, and talking about periods should be normal,” Intimina spokesperson Danela Zagar told Yahoo News. “But as our research shows, conversations about periods at home are few and far between. For the sake of our physical and mental health, we need to talk more about our menstrual health – and that’s what Period Crunch cereal is designed to raise awareness of and make a statement about.”
Despite ongoing efforts to normalize conversations about menstruation, stigma around periods and menstrual health is still pervasive, especially for Black women.
A 2019 study by Tampax Radiant, which surveyed more than 600 Black women about their bodies and their periods, found that about 25 percent of Black women choose to use pads because they weren’t taught how to use tampons. Fifty-five percent said they needed additional information about how to properly use a tampon, and 42 percent said they wanted to learn more about their periods from Black media and brands.
Black women are already continually subjected to medical racism and poor quality healthcare, but it’s clear that much more needs to be done to help Black women who are disproportionately impacted by miseducation and misinformation around periods and menstrual products.
“Periods are a natural part of who we are, so it’s deeply concerning to hear that so many people remain uncomfortable discussing them when they are just another part of our health,” Dr. Shree Datta, a gynecologist for Intimina, told Yahoo News. “I look forward to Period Crunch kickstarting conversations and breaking down barriers over the breakfast table.”
The cereal isn’t available for purchase in supermarkets, but anyone can express interest in trying a box by emailing periodcrunch@thisiscow.com.