Health care brand Canesten has unveiled an educational campaign ‘The Truth Undressed’ to banish shame and discomfort when exploring the truth about vaginal and vulval health.
Part of the brand’s global brand social purpose platform ‘Vagina Academy’, this latest iteration aims to inform young people about the reality of their bodies and how they can recognise and address health concerns.
The campaign, created by AnalogFolk London agency, includes a dedicated website, social media awareness videos, and free lesson plans for 11-18-year-olds in collaboration with The PSHE Association.
Intending to break down stereotypes, this new content the contains diverse, accurate and non-sexualised photography of vulvas, pubic hair and vaginal discharge.
The variety of photographs taken were shot by Sophie Mayanne, known for her personal project ‘Behind the Scars’ and for her Mothercare campaign ‘Beautiful, isn’t she?’.
Canesten launched the educational materials in response to research that found that only 6% of UK women (aged 18-24) were educated about intimate health conditions through school and university education and just under two third (60%) discovered vaginal infections existed upon first experiencing them.
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“The truth of the female anatomy is dressed up in a societal culture of sex and defined as explicit by default. We live in a world where porn is readily available on the internet, yet many young people don’t know the first thing about what kinds of infections there are or even what the vulva is supposed to look like,” Bayer Consumer Health UK brand lead for Canesten, Daria Costantini, said.
“We hope that through this programme we can start to move imagery of real vulvas away from a sexualised depiction and into an informative, educational space to equip young people with the essential information they need to better understand their bodies as well as normalise conversations.”
The brand also claims that social media sites like TikTok and Instagram contain large amounts of misinformation with regards to vaginal and vulval health.
AnalogFolk London creative director, Amandine Fabian, added: “No one should feel ashamed of having a vulva or a vagina or just saying these words, yet a lot of women find it hard to even talk about vulval and vaginal health issues with their doctors. That’s why we’ve created The Truth, Undressed: to cast shame and taboo aside.”
“We used a bold look and feel and real photography that inspire self confidence and empowerment to send one message across: vulvas and vaginas are just like any other part of the human body. The Truth, Undressed goes beyond a simple advertising campaign — it’s a shift in mindset.”
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