This company wasn’t allowed to put up its billboards because they used the word “vagina”

When it comes to pregnancy and postpartum healing, things can get messy for women—that’s just a fact of life. But unfortunately, like most things that have to do with vaginas, talking about post-delivery vaginal issues is still taboo. Case in point: one company that makes a postpartum cleaning product was censored when it tried to use the V-word (vagina, duh) in its ads. Are you serious?

Earlier this year, Fridababy attempted to launch a billboard campaign for its “MomWasher,” a peri-bottle that helps keep new moms clean during the sometimes-painful recovery process after delivery, with the slogan, “Trust us, your vagina will thank you.”

But certain states rejected the campaign because it uses the word “vagina.”

As you can see in the emails below, the response that Fridababy got after sending over the art for its billboards wasn’t exactly what you’d hope for. “Vagina” isn’t a bad word—it’s the anatomically correct term for a body part that belongs to a lot of the population, so this is obviously pretty disappointing.

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Fortunately, New York City wasn’t one of the places that rejected Fridababy’s campaign, and this week, according to the company, 22 billboards that feature the slogan will be placed throughout the city outside of subway stations that are near hospitals and OB/GYN offices, aka places where women who might need the MomWasher will see the ads.

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Most hospitals send you home with a bottle to wash yourself after delivering a baby, but they’re not always the most advanced products out there. The MomWasher could make postpartum life a easier, which is part of the reason it’s such a shame these billboards have been rejected.

One day, our society will be able to accept the fact women’s bodies aren’t taboo or “wrong”—especially since we’d all feel less alone if we were able to talk openly about our experiences. Good for Fridababy for supporting all the vaginas out there. Can we all work to make that word “normal,” please?

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