Selling Clean Vaginas: An Examination of Feminine Hygiene Products' Health and Cultural Messaging and Its Implications for Black Women's Sexual Health

BACKGROUND: Feminine hygiene products (FHPs), including washes, deodorants, suppositories, and wipes, are widely marketed in the United States as essential to vaginal cleanliness, pH balance, and odor control. However, these products may contribute to adverse outcomes such as microbiome disruption, irritation, and infection. Black women disproportionately use FHPs and experience higher rates of reproductive health issues, yet the content and marketing of these products remain underexamined. This study investigates the health claims, ingredients, and marketing strategies of FHPs, with a focus on products explicitly marketed to Black women in the US. METHODS: A conventional content analysis was conducted on 83 FHPs identified through US-based retail and e-commerce platforms between July 2022 and November 2024. Products were categorized by name, brand, claims, ingredients, point-of-sale (retail vs. e-commerce), and Black-owned. Products were also labeled "Black consumer focused" if they were produced by self-identified Black-owned brands and (1) marketed using culturally specific terms, language, or practices (e.g., "yoni", vaginal steaming), and/or (2) marketed claims related to health concerns disproportionately affecting Black women (e.g., fibroids, endometriosis). RESULTS: Of the products analyzed, 63.8% claimed to balance vaginal pH, 33.7% targeted odor elimination, and 15.6% claimed to treat BV or yeast infections. Products often contained acidic ingredients (56.6%) and fragrances (28%), despite limited safety data. Products marketed to Black women disproportionately used spiritual or empowerment language such as "yoni," promoted herbal or botanical formulations (90%), and made unsubstantiated claims to treat reproductive conditions such as fibroids, infertility, and menstrual irregularities. CONCLUSION: Marketing of FHPs reinforces myths about vaginal cleanliness and targets Black women with racially coded and scientifically unsupported claims. These practices may contribute to reproductive health disparities and warrant increased regulatory oversight, provider education, and culturally grounded health communication.