-- The “Say Vagina” Campaign aims to normalize use of the medical term
for an organ that more than 50 percent of people around the world have,
but which remains heavily censored and stigmatized --
SAN DIEGO, CA, August 1, 2025 — It’s 2025. Why are we still using phrases like ‘kitty,’ ‘vajayjay,’ ‘hooha,’ or ‘down there,’ in reference to the vagina?
Because it gets shadowbanned. And no one wants that.
The media censors the word vagina and shadowbans (secretly hides) content that frequently uses it. Even though it’s an anatomical term, just like ‘penis’, ‘balls’, or ‘anus’, those aren’t getting censored. ‘Vagina’ is.
For example, in 2023, UK menstrual product company Bodyform had their campaign silenced on social media and inaccurately flagged as 'sexual content' due to its use of proper anatomical words such as ‘labia majora’, ‘vagina’, and ‘vulva’.
That’s really not ok. We need to challenge social media censorship of clinical terms and promote open dialogue about women’s bodies.
At Evofem Biosciences, we are declaring the month of August “Say Vagina Month” to normalize the use of clinical anatomical language and to combat the widespread censorship of essential medical terminology.
“Say Vagina Month” emerged because we recognize that there is a lot of discomfort and censorship around basic anatomical terms that half the population needs in order to discuss their own health. We aim to transform shame into empowerment through language normalization and create space for open dialogue about women's bodies and health.
“For generations, women have been told that their bodies are shameful or inappropriate to discuss. Euphemisms and avoidance have replaced clear, respectful language. Women are often discouraged from knowing their own anatomy and some have never learned the proper anatomical terms,” said Saundra Pelletier, CEO of Evofem Biosciences. “There’s a cultural discomfort around female anatomy and female pleasure. People aren’t scared to say elbow or larynx or even penis. There’s a worry about being seen as vulgar or inappropriate or too forward. But it’s not fear; it is discomfort rooted in generations of silence.”
The goal of “Say Vagina Month” is to address a troubling reality: algorithms often equate educational language with explicit content. Platforms flag medical terms as “adult content,” despite allowing violent or truly inappropriate material.
This creates a dangerous double standard where posts about female anatomy get flagged while misinformation spreads freely.
Published research demonstrates that ‘penis’ and associated terms don't face the same censorship as ‘vagina,’ even though ‘vagina’ refers to an anatomical term for which there is no suitable, biologically accurate alternative.
But it’s about more than just saying the word ‘vagina’. The consequences of avoiding proper anatomical terms can be extremely problematic, potentially leading to:
- Delayed medical care due to inability to communicate symptoms clearly
- Miscommunication with healthcare providers by using euphemisms
- Children growing up without proper anatomical vocabulary
- Women delaying diagnoses because they don't know how or are afraid to describe symptoms
- Reinforcement of a culture of secrecy where consent, pleasure, and pain are misunderstood
While ‘vagina’ serves as the cornerstone of the campaign, the initiative extends to other unnecessarily taboo terms including menstruation and periods, breastfeeding discussions, and pregnancy loss terminology. Words like ‘clitoris,’ ‘libido,’ ‘fertility,’ ‘orgasm,’ and ‘hormones’ are treated as dirty rather than data. Even ‘sex’ in a health context makes platforms uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t.
“Say Vagina Month” envisions a future where clinical terms become as unremarkable as ‘elbow’ or ‘knee’ — where women's health discussions receive the same attention and resources as men's, and where body shame is replaced with body literacy and empowerment.
“We envision a world where you can say ‘vagina’ in a meeting or in public and nobody flinches. Where your daughter can say ‘vulva’ — and knows the difference between vulva and vagina — without whispering it or giggling,” said Pelletier.
Evofem’s approach to women's health innovation exemplifies the campaign's principles. The company brought you the commercial “Welcome to my vagina” with Annie Murphy, after all. The company's hormone-free, on-demand birth control, PHEXXI, was developed with women's needs in mind, offering flexibility and choice without daily commitment. And yes – it goes directly into your vagina whenever you need it.
Throughout the month of August, Evofem will be sharing content educating people, not just women, on the vagina and how to properly care for it. Because all women need to know how to take care of their vagina in real terms, not in ways that beat around the bush (literally and figuratively!)
About Evofem Biosciences
Evofem Biosciences, Inc. (OTCID: EVFM) is commercializing innovative products to address unmet needs in women's sexual and reproductive health. The Company generates revenue from the sale of two FDA-approved products.
- PHEXXI® (lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate) is the first and only hormone-free, on-demand prescription contraceptive vaginal gel. It comes in a box of 12 pre-filled applicators and is applied 0-60 minutes before each act of sex.
- SOLOSEC® (secnidazole) 2g oral granules is an FDA-approved oral antibiotic for the treatment of two sexual health diseases: bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common vaginal infection, in females 12 years of age and older, and trichomoniasis, a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), in people 12 years of age and older. SOLOSEC provides a complete course of therapy in just one dose.
Evofem’s commercial team relaunched SOLOSEC in November 2024, and promotes the product alongside PHEXXI to OB/GYNs in the U.S. The Company is entering global markets through strategic partnerships, including a license agreement for the Middle East and North Africa under which PHEXXI and SOLOSEC are expected to launch in the UAE in 2026.
As previously announced, Evofem entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Aditxt, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADTX). Through the proposed acquisition of Evofem under the July 2024 Amended and Restated Merger Agreement between Evofem, Aditxt and Adifem, Inc., as amended (the "A&R Merger Agreement"), Aditxt aims to add a dedicated to women's health program to its social innovation platform accelerating promising health innovations. The companies are working toward a targeted close in the second half of 2025.
PHEXXI® and SOLOSEC® are registered trademarks of Evofem Biosciences, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this press release. The closing of the transaction with Evofem, Aditxt and Adifem, Inc., under the A&R Merger Agreement, as amended, is subject to several conditions including, but not limited to, 1) approval of the transaction by a majority of the combined voting power of Evofem's E-1 and Common Stock, voting together as a single class, at a meeting where quorum is present, and 2) Aditxt raising sufficient capital to fund its obligations at closing. These obligations include cash payments of approximately $17 million for Evofem, which includes approximately $15 million required to satisfy Evofem's senior secured noteholder. Should Aditxt fail to secure these funds, Evofem's senior secured noteholder is expected to seek to prevent the closing of the merger with Evofem. No assurance can be provided that all of the conditions to closing will be obtained or satisfied or that the transaction will ultimately close. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements are disclosed in the Company's SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on March 24, 2025, amended on March 28, 2025, and any subsequent Form 10-Q filings. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by such factors. The Company does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law.
Contact
Amy Raskopf, Chief Business Development Officer
Evofem Biosciences, Inc.
araskopf@evofem.com
(917) 673-5775