Too Spicy for Instagram: How Platforms Silence Women’s Health

Between 10% and 20% of women experience pain during sex. 5%-10% of people who get periods are so debilitated by pain every month that they can’t go about their daily lives. The orgasm gap means that women are having fewer orgasms than men. So…why aren’t we hearing about these women’s health issues more often? Specifically, why aren’t we hearing about solutions?

Now, here’s a hot take: no one likes ads. From their pervasiveness to their annoyingness, and the general creepiness of how they seem to be tracking you, ads are pretty bad. But, and this is a real hot take, they do serve a purpose. Quite simply, they let you know what products are out there in the world to solve your specific problems. They also normalize those problems, no matter how embarrassing. For instance, no one likes having bad breath, but it is comforting knowing that not only do other people suffer from it, but there are products that can help deal with it. And social media makes it easier than ever to follow companies we know we like in order to keep up with new products and sales.

Too Spicy for Instagram

So, where am I going with all this, and how does it tie in to women’s health and also censorship? Well, earlier this month, Instagram banned the official account of the sex toy shop Bellesa Boutique for using the word “clitoris” in a post. Bellesa’s Instagram page had been around for a decade and had over 700,000 followers, meaning that a lot of people over a long amount of time appreciated what the company did and how it communicated via social media.

This problem hits especially close to home because our own Instagram page was also suspended, and I wouldn’t be surprised if our Facebook is shadowbanned (we have very limited views on our posts). Because heaven forbid people have easy access to honest reviews and articles about products that quite literally only exist to bring pleasure. And if people don’t know what kinds of sex toys are out there, and don’t particularly want to do a lot of research to find them themselves, they’re missing out on some amazing items that could transform their sex lives. Or, at the very least, their self-care routine.

For example, when I was experiencing vaginal pain, I didn’t know dilators existed until I read about them in a novel (though I also blame my former ob-gyn, Dr. “Just Have a Glass of Wine and Try To Relax”, for that one). And once when I was getting a flu shot at CVS, I spent the entire time joking with the pharmacist about how the phrasing on the “intimate care” packaging was all so discreet and delicate that we literally couldn’t figure out what some of the products were. These issues and their solutions aren’t frivolous; they are genuinely impacting people’s lives.

Won’t Somebody Think of the Children?

Earlier this year, Meta was successfully sued for running a negligent platform design that harmed children and teenagers. So, we can all be grateful that they really upped their game, drew a line in the sand, and protected us all from harm by…banning a sexual wellness company. Um, of course. Makes…perfect sense.

Social media is harmful because it’s addictive and fosters radicalizing echo chambers, not because it uses correct anatomical terms. So, if protecting people’s mental health is what you want, just don’t use social media. Problem solved. Banning Bellesa feels like the equivalent of blaming Canada.

Guess Which Groups Are Being Targeted Specifically

It should come as absolutely no surprise that double standards abound when it comes to what counts as sexual content. For example, the sexual wellness company Unbound got their pretty, feminine ads banned from Meta. What did they do as a response? Create a fake brand geared towards men, advertising products to improve erectile dysfunction and male sexual performance. With its gray, hypermasculine aesthetic, “Thunder Thrust” was approved to be promoted with no problems.

LGBTQ creators have also reported that Instagram is shadowbanning their accounts far more than their straight counterparts.

Periods are Political—Who Knew?

I know they say “the personal is political”, but who knew that having periods was a political act? Supposedly Meta thinks so, since it rejected period care products on the basis of being too “adult” or “political”. Calling period products “adult” is already a stretch, considering the fact that the average age someone gets their first period is 12, but “political”? That’s a new one.

Again, 80% of AFAB people have period pain to some degree, and 5%-10% are so affected by it that it impacts their lives. So, why aren’t there more advertisements for solutions? I constantly see billboards and commercials telling me that 1 in 3 adults has diabetes, so why can’t we normalize, not to mention treat, period pain the same way?

Even medications that help with period pain aren’t advertised as such. For example, sildenafil citrate can help relieve period cramps (which, may I remind you, 80% of people who get periods have), even in severe cases. So, why haven’t you heard of this miracle drug? Oh, you definitely have. It’s sold under the name Viagra and is used to treat erectile dysfunction. Viagra ads are so ubiquitous that their warning phrase “if you have an erection lasting more than four hours…” became something of a meme. It’s hard to imagine a woman’s intimate care item becoming that ubiquitous.

But the real question is: if periods are political, does that mean undecided voters don’t get them? Are people with menopause apolitical? Do more ardent beliefs mean a heavier flow? Enlighten me, Meta.

I Have a Little Bit of Hope

Yes, it seems bleak at the moment, but I do hope that this type of censorship will decline over time. It might get worse before it gets better, but here’s my prediction: As more and more research comes out about the harms of social media, and as more internet-savvy people start having kids of their own, there will be an even bigger push for children to have less and less screen time until eventually the “won’t somebody think of the children” argument will be irrelevant.

Also, as masturbation becomes more a part of self care, I do think the stigma around it will dwindle, meaning that ads for sex toy products won’t get banned as much. While the word “clitoris” might be too much for Instagram at the moment, it’s my belief that there will come a time when it just becomes another word.

Happy vibing!

Becky

Becky V is a Los Angeles native who loves indie bookstores, Broadway musicals, and a good cup of tea. She is passionate about sexual wellness and wants to make the world a better place one orgasm at a time!