You said tampons don’t work for you – we listened.
- “I’m so frustrated! It seems like everyone talks about tampons as their go-to period solution, but tampons have been too difficult to use for me. I feel completely shut out of what’s supposed to be an easy way to manage my periods.”
That frustration isn’t easy to hear–but it’s not uncommon. We know that managing periods can be hard because only about 54% of people use tampons when they menstruate. For many, tampons simply aren’t an option.
“But periods are natural,” we hear.
Sure. But that response conflates “natural” with being easy. If 46% of people who could be using tampons aren’t choosing them, they’re likely not easy for a lot of people.
Simply saying that menstruation is natural also doesn’t offer a solution. That’s what we’ve been working on at TINA – an insertion aide that gives you the ease and control you need.
Your period, your way.
One of the ways we’ve been doing that is by listening to you. We couldn’t have begun to reimagine the use of tampons without understanding the challenges that some people face when they use them. For our founder, Ali, It became no less than a regular middle-of-the-night mission when she undertook this challenge as an undergraduate student!
One of our most important takeaways from your input is that periods are personal–and so is each experience with them. You’ve honestly and generously shared with us that preference, size, shape, physical or intellectual ability can play a role in whether it’s possible to use tampons and other products.
During different parts of our design process, you’ve let us know what works for you and what doesn’t. For example, we learned early on that some people need help inserting tampons from others. You’ve shown us the range of impediments there can be to using tampons; that you needed an insertion that’s reusable; and that it’s important to have a way to comfortably manage periods.
We’re here – and we’re listening.
Even as we prepare for our official launch, we’re continuing to listen. Your needs, experiences and feedback are helping us shape how we approach our design process and offerings. We know it’s not easy to share input about something this personal, so we’re grateful for your openness.
We look forward to continuing the conversation with you about how we can create the menstrual products you need.