The US education system is failing to teach young women and men the basics of menstruation, so brands are stepping in to fill the gap. What are period-advocacy brands and their products doing to fight the stigma and teach young women about their reproductive health?

BettyBox is a feminine hygiene care package service for teenage girls in the UK, equipping them with the items they need for when they're menstruating. BettyBox caters to Gen Z’s expectation for brands to challenge "awkward" topics with a soft touch, and a sense of pragmatism.

Be it using euphemisms or ignoring the topic entirely, there is still stigma around discussing periods – particularly among men. Tackling this head on, feminine hygiene brand Libresse has launched the 'Men-struation' campaign, which aims to better educate men in Malaysia about periods.

When it comes to sex, male pleasure has long dominated the conversation. But with taboos around female sexuality gradually fading – in part thanks to sex-positive role models such as Lena Dunham and Issa Rae – women are getting more explicit. This is highlighted by the fact that ‘anti-slut-shaming podcast’ Guys We Fucked – hosted by comedians Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson – has been in the top five of the iTunes podcast chart since it launched.