Outrage Over Deceptive Sanitary Pad Sizes Sparks Apologies in China
Chinese sanitary pad manufacturers are facing significant backlash after a viral social media campaign revealed that the products are often shorter than advertised. Women across the country took to platforms like Xiaohongshu to demonstrate through measuring tape that popular brands’ pads were, on average, at least 10mm shorter than labeled, igniting a wave of criticism against these companies.
The situation escalated rapidly after videos surfaced, with one user questioning, “Will cutting a few centimetres help you strike it rich?” This prompted extensive debates on social media, where consumers accused manufacturers of deception, drawing parallels between the misleading pad sizes and the insoles used in men’s shoes to artificially enhance their height.
An investigative report by Chinese outlet The Paper corroborated these claims, finding that nearly 90% of the 20 sanitary pad brands studied were indeed shorter than advertised. Additionally, many of these products featured absorbent layers that were not only smaller in length but also lower in quality. Notably, while national standards allow a size variance of 4%, they don’t specifically address the length of the absorbent material, revealing a regulatory gap in product safety.
In response to the growing discontent, companies like ABC issued apologies when confronted with customer complaints, although their initial defensive stance sparked further outrage. One alarming response from ABC’s customer service suggested if consumers could not accept the discrepancy in size, they should simply not buy the product, leading to an immediate backlash. ABC later apologized for this “inappropriate” reply and expressed a commitment to eliminating product inconsistencies, a sentiment echoed by other brands like Shecare and Beishute.
State media, including Xinhua, also contributed to the criticism, emphasizing that the health and comfort of women depend directly on the quality of these sanitary products. With a market value of approximately $13 billion, the stakes are high given past safety scandals that have plagued feminine hygiene product manufacturers in China. Instances of fraudulent operations producing low-quality sanitary pads without proper hygiene and previous alarming discoveries, such as needles found in pads from a reputed brand, have left many consumers wary.
This controversy has resonated with women who feel that essential products designed for their use are not being made with adequate quality control. The discontent has morphed into broader social commentary on the lack of attention paid to women’s needs in consumer products, encapsulated by trending hashtags and phrases like “Sanitary pads yield a centimetre; women yield for a lifetime.” As authorities signal potential revisions to national standards for sanitary products, the demand for accountability and quality among feminine hygiene brands may finally gain the momentum it has long needed.