Retail Chain Stops Referring to Tampons as “Feminine Care” – Considered Exclusionary

The British retail chain Waitrose has decided to abolish the term “feminine care” for menstrual and intimate hygiene products after an internal complaint from an employee. The company justifies the change by noting that the previous term no longer reflects the entire product range, which also includes incontinence products for men. Meanwhile, critics argue that the decision is yet another example of businesses adapting their language in response to demands from trans activists.

The background is an internal document in which an employee argued that the term “feminine care” is not inclusive since “not everyone who menstruates is a woman.” The company responded that the category would be updated, and in several stores more gender-neutral terms such as “pads and tampons” or similar are now being used.

Waitrose states that the change mainly reflects a broader product range and is not a political statement.

The decision has sparked strong criticism from the organization Sex Matters and the conservative local politician James Esses, who argue that the company is erasing women’s biological reality by avoiding words like “women” and “feminine”.

Proponents of more inclusive language argue, on the other hand, that trans men and some non-binary people can also menstruate and should therefore be covered by the terminology used.

Part of a Bigger Cultural Debate

The conflict surrounding Waitrose is far from unique. In recent years, issues of gender identity have become among the most polarized societal debates in the UK, USA, and several European countries.

A recurring conflict concerns participation in women’s sports. Critics point out that individuals who have gone through male puberty retain physiological advantages in areas such as strength, explosiveness, and lung capacity even after hormone treatment.

They refer to high-profile cases in swimming, athletics, cycling, weightlifting, and combat sports where biological men who identify as women have competed against women and dominated the competitions.

READ ALSO: EU: Trans Women Are Real Women

Proponents of inclusion, meanwhile, emphasize trans people’s right to participate in society and argue that individual rules, hormone requirements, and medical assessments can create fair competition conditions.

The debate has led several international sports federations in recent years to introduce significantly stricter regulations or completely ban individuals who have gone through male puberty from women’s elite classes.

Access to women’s changing rooms, toilets, protected housing, and prisons has also become the subject of extensive political and legal disputes. Proponents of sex-segregated spaces cite privacy and safety, while advocates for trans inclusion argue that trans people risk discrimination if excluded.

Sharp Increase in the Number of People Identifying as Trans

At the same time, statistics from several Western countries show that the number of people identifying as trans or seeking gender-affirming care has increased sharply since the early 2000s.

In the USA, public health authorities estimate that about 0.6–0.7 percent of the adult population identifies as transgender, while the proportion among young adults is significantly higher than among older generations. Among teenagers, several surveys estimate that around 2–3 percent identify as trans or non-binary, compared to much lower levels in studies from the early 2000s.

Researchers have pointed to several possible explanations, including increased social acceptance, greater awareness, and changing diagnostic criteria, while commentators have also highlighted social influence and the internet as possible factors.

The development has been particularly debated among minors. The number of referrals to gender identity clinics for children and adolescents increased sharply during the 2010s in countries such as the UK, Sweden, and Finland. This led to extensive medical reviews, after which several European countries tightened their guidelines for the treatment of minors.

Children and Medical Treatments Remain Controversial

The issue of hormone therapy and surgical procedures for minors remains one of the most controversial parts of the trans debate.

Critics argue that children and adolescents do not always have the maturity required to make decisions with lifelong consequences, pointing to risks such as infertility, reduced sexual function, and irreversible bodily changes.

They also note that several European countries have become more restrictive with puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors outside research settings.

Proponents of gender-affirming care point out that such treatment can be crucial for young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria and refer to medical guidelines from several professional organizations, while even these emphasize the need for careful assessment and individual evaluation.