Sexual wellness brand HANX has launched a boldly open campaign to talk about vaginismus this Valentine’s Day, a condition which is thought to affect around 2 in 1000 women.
Developed in partnership with Scottish creative agency Leith, the campaign will be centred around educating the public about vaginismus, which causes the involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles.
Everything from penetrative sex to the use of tampons can be rendered incredibly painful and almost impossible. The only treatments available range from physiotherapy to psychotherapy, however ingrained social taboos around discussing vaginas can be a barrier to many women seeking treatment.
Assets will be led by a series of straight-talking out-of-home and social ads which will aim to raise awareness of the condition, and will provide links to a website offering helpful information and advice.
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“As we say at HANX, sex is too often considered a boys’ club. This excludes people with vaginas and makes those with Vaginismus feel ostracised. We wanted to help Leith to build on the frank, female-centric and positive conversations around sex that HANX and its pioneering female founders have started – including how to experience pleasure if you ‘can’t have sex the way everyone else does” ? HANX co-founders Dr Sarah Welsh and Farah Kabir.
“For too long, the ins and outs of of sex has been a male-dominated topic, with vaginas, and painful conditions such as vaginismus, too taboo to discuss openly. We’re excited to team up with Leith to build on the frank, female-centric and sex positive conversations we have with our community – including how to experience pleasure when your body won’t play ball.”
Having been timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, it is hoped that the campaign will enable women to ‘open up’ about the condition to people they love and trust, in order to break down taboos and sigmas.
Leith creative duo, Mairi Wilson and Debbie Morgan added: “Getting a brief like this doesn’t happen every day – but that’s why when a project like this does come around, it’s so important. It’s a chance to use our strategic and creative thinking to give vaginismus a platform in the mainstream media, and to start a wider conversation about women’s health. It’s great seeing your work out in the wild.
“And even better when it’s doing the rounds on Instagram, starting much needed conversations in our own friendship groups. As a brand, we couldn’t think of a better partner than HANX – they’re pioneers of breaking down taboos around female wellbeing and the oohs and ouches of pleasure.”
