Why standards for menstrual products matter
Every day, around 300 million people menstruate. Yet there is still no global ISO standard that ensures the safety and quality of menstrual products.
Developing international standards is an important step towards making menstrual products safer and more accessible for everyone.
What ISO/TC 338 covers
ISO/TC 338 develops standards for manufactured menstrual products used to collect or absorb menstrual fluid.
This includes products for internal and external use, as well as both single-use and reusable products.
Supporting menstrual health and well-being
Menstrual health is about more than the absence of disease. It includes physical, mental, and social well-being during the menstrual cycle.
Standards developed by ISO/TC 338 aim to:
improve safety and performance
increase global access to products
support better information for users
encourage open conversations about menstruation
Closing the global standards gap
Today, many products used on or inside the body are strictly regulated, such as condoms and wound dressings.
Menstrual products do not yet have equivalent global standards. ISO/TC 338 works to close this gap and support equal access to safe products.