Reclaiming the Narrative: 3 ways to fight femtech censorship in 2025
Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus was too scandalous for 1486. Fast-forward 500+ years, we’re still getting censored for talking about women’s health and pleasure.
We’re a month into 2025. And if we’re still breathing, we’ll have noticed the Big Tech broligarchy gleefully censoring life-saving women’s health information across all meta social platforms, as well as Google, X, Amazon, and TikTok.
We’re witnessing a flourishing online petri dish of misinformation and right wing conspiracies, as Facebook cancels its fact checking program. And sexual health content creators and businesses are being suppressed and shadow banned to absurd levels on social media. (Using “seggs” to side-step shadow banning, anyone?)
The withholding of vital women’s health information is not only happening online. Some companies selling lubes, sex toys, and period products are keeping quiet about toxic ingredients and materials—or worse, offering false reassurance with misleading ‘bodysafe’ labelling.
Consumers need clear information to make empowered decisions about their most intimately used products. But online censorship makes this educational content harder to share and harder to find, widening the knowledge gap even further. And unless you’ve been living blissfully under a rock, far away from our digital hell-scape (may I join you?), you’ll know it’s only getting worse.
How can consumers & businesses fight censorship and support sexual health & femtech innovation?
The state of things got me thinking back to a panel discussion I attended back on the cusp of winter in 2024. The Future of Sexual Wellness & Inclusive Innovation event, organised by cyclical.bodies founder Zoya Misha, brought together industry experts from Berlin’s femtech community to discuss the urgent need for inclusive, taboo-busting conversations about health & femtech innovation.
They shared some timely insights that have inspired these 3 actions that consumers (all of us) and businesses can take to fight health censorship in 2025, and beyond. Even when rage seems more appealing!
CONSUMERS! TIME TO BUY SMARTER, DEMAND BETTER
Support womxn-owned & ethical brands 🌼
Indie brands who prioritise product safety and sustainability over shortcuts are hit hardest by the current wave of suppression and censorship.
This extends to the most fundamental aspect of running a business—having a bank account. Shockingly, banks impose similar restrictions on sex-positive startups as they do on weapons manufacturers. One business owner in Germany shared with me their frustration over being forced to switch banking providers multiple times after their accounts were repeatedly blocked. Hypocritical policies and a lingering moral stigma make life harder unnecessarily.
There are so many cool, sustainable, genuinely health-oriented brands out there to buy from. Feminist brand Xia Pleasure Objects, for example, creates beautiful, ergonomic, and safe products with sustainability in mind. Instead of giving your money to big corporations that prioritise profits over women’s health, why not support the myriad businesses that actually give a damn?
Research ingredients like your health depends on it (because it does) 🔬
Many products—sex toys, lubes, condoms, tampons—contain phthalates, glycerin, heavy metals, parabens, propylene glycol, alcohol, and other harmful chemicals that can lead to irritation, infections, and worse. To prioritise your well-being, choose medical-grade silicone, stainless steel, safety tested, and pH-balanced formulations.
For a personal lubricant designed to support your body’s natural pH, keep an eye out for vögeln—a mission-driven, vegan, inclusive, and all-natural lube developed in collaboration with leading researchers in biotech. Set to launch this year, the brand is also exploring virus-binding lube technologies and addressing the gap in sexual health innovations for people with vulvas, who are too often left out of the conversation about pleasure and well-being.
Reward transparency, call out greenwashing 📢
It’s shocking but true—there’s no legal requirement for brands to disclose all ingredients on product labels. And some brands slap on buzzwords like “organic” and “body-safe” while dodging real transparency and accountability.
Ask questions. Demand ingredient lists. If a brand can’t provide answers, don’t buy.
For extra assurance, look for products that have Medical Device certification (marked on packaging). This certification means the product has undergone rigorous testing to ensure it’s safe and works as intended. Because when it comes to your body, you deserve the truth.
BUSINESSES AND STARTUPS! TIME TO BUILD OUTSIDE THE ALGORITHM
Stop relying on social media alone 🚫📲
Meta, TikTok, X, Amazon, and Google routinely censor femtech, sexual wellness, and women-led businesses while amplifying misleading, misogyny-flavoured content.
Grow direct networks via newsletters, collaborations, and community-driven spaces
The need to show up online is going nowhere fast, but truly sustainable growth comes from a discoverable website, valuable content, and consistent email marketing. Unlike the toxic unpredictability of meta’s platforms, your website and email list are assets you own—built for long-term relationships with your audience.
Did you know that the average open rate for an email welcome sequence is 50%? That’s your chance to start strong and connect with future brand devotees from the moment they sign up to your mailing list.
You can nurture community-driven online spaces by creating interactive newsletters that invite responses and contributions from your readers. And chatroom platforms like Discord and Slack provide containers for real conversations and engagement with your community, without censorship.
Nurture community IRL
Bringing people together digitally through webinars, online workshops, and live Q&As is powerful—but don’t underestimate the impact of nurturing your community beyond the screen. Create meaningful IRL experiences through meetups, pop-ups, and brand collaborations, or host educational and experiential events focused on sexual wellness, sustainability, and body literacy.
Build trust by making your events inclusive, accessible, and community-driven—ask your people what they need first. When you listen, engage, and co-create, you foster deeper, more lasting connections.
Push for industry-wide standards ⚖️
The lack of mandatory regulations in sexual wellness allows companies to cut corners—but change is happening. Many forward-thinking, stigma-busting brands are advocating for industry-wide standards and long-term studies on the effects of common ingredients in condoms, lubricants, and other intimate products.
One such brand is Maude, a premium sexual wellness company that prioritises inclusivity, sustainability, and a slow-burn approach to growth. Through high-quality educational content, research, and advocacy, alongside products that adhere to high standards of safety and transparency, Maude are raising the bar and emphasising sexual wellness for all.
Bringing together influential femtech leaders, the CensHERship collective are tackling the censorship of women’s health and sexual wellness content head on. Through legislative action, research, and advocacy, they’re fighting for transparency and fair representation.
Transforming the industry is a collective effort. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to lift up other ethical brands, build coalitions, and educate consumers with value-driven content—helping them spot red flags and make informed choices when shopping for sexual wellness products.
Communicate with Empathy & Consistency 💡
In this capitalist world, we’re all consumers being flooded with ads and sensory overload. And we’re all tired of confusing labels, vague promises, and misleading claims. To stand out as a brand, use clear, science-backed messaging that positions you as an authority in your field. And connect with your people through empathy-led copy and real conversations that express your brand values, and show you walk the walk.
Reclaiming the future starts now
For now at least, businesses are still somewhat tied to serving their audience on platforms ruled by Meta. So, we’re unlikely to escape this far-reaching suppression and shadow banning of content any time soon. And change won’t come from companies unless we demand better—hitting their cash flow by choosing the ethical, sustainable brands already doing the work.
Even if it feels like we’re on a downward spiral, heading towards yet more censorship and restrictions on women’s basic rights, there are tangible actions we can take to apply pressure and reshape the industry towards transparency, safety, and accessibility. We’re all interconnected, and our actions matter!
And one day, maybe we can wave goodbye to these discriminatory platforms and set up home in more hospitable digital pastures—or offline entirely—making the broligarchic powers that be obsolete. Easier said than done, but I’m hopeful. Are you?
Let's reimagine a safer, healthier future. What changes do you want to see? Drop your thoughts below & let’s build something better. ✨
Lorna,
Marketing Copywriter for Wellness & Femtech
If you’re a wellness or femtech brand that gives a sh*t, your messaging should show it.
I create empathy-led website copy, blogs, and emails that elevate your inbound marketing strategy and create a steady stream of connections for your business.
Ready to make waves with your words?
