Retired Football Player Is Shocked To See ‘Tampons For Men’ At The Store, Finally Learns What Tampons Actually Are

Former Collingwood star and AFL Brownlow medalist Dane Swan has recently come under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. On January the 4th, the retired footballer shared a tweet that has been dubbed bizarre and insensitive on internet, causing international backlash.

Swan’s tweet stated “I’ve now officially seen it all” as it was accompanied by a photograph of protectors for incontinence, a product from Tena.

Now that people are rolling their eyes without being able to decide whether it’s a bad taste joke and Swan is a jerk or whether he is totally incompetent, one thing is clear: that Swan’s star has fallen.

We reached out to Joanne Harris, a feminist writer, storyteller, and advocate for authors’ rights, who is currently the Chair of the Society of Authors (SOA) and a member of the Board of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), who commented on Dane Swan’s insensitive tweet.

“Looking at the context, I think it was initially a misguided attempt to troll the trans community by ridiculing the idea that some men might need to use tampons, but Swan revealed his depth of ignorance, not only by failing to know the difference between a tampon and an incontinence pad (even when they were clearly labelled as such), but also of some basic facts about the human body,” Harris explained.

In recent years, Harris has noticed a growing number of men who really don't seem to understand how the body actually works. “It's not just a lack of understanding about who can menstruate, and why, but of how the body's needs can change, and how this impacts on everyone.”

Moreover, Harris argues, “people with prostate issues, dementia and incontinence already have so much stigma to face that it really doesn't help when someone like Swan tries to ridicule their need for continence pads.” Harris concluded by saying that fortunately, in this case, he has only made himself look ridiculous.

Bored Panda also reached out to Dana Marlowe, the founder and executive director of I Support the Girls (ISTG) non-profit, which collects and distributes essential items, including bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products, allowing women and folx experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress to stand tall with dignity. Marlowe told Bored Panda via email that Dane Swan's tweet feels retro and completely out of touch.

“Stigmas lead to unnecessary feelings of shame, rather than empowerment. We've worked hard over our 7 years to destigmatize periods, and now we regularly have men host drives, volunteer, and donate to ISTG. After all, we're all here because of periods,” Marlowe commented.

Marlowe explained that period products are designed to capture or collect menstrual blood during menses. “There are a wide variety of products available ranging from tampons to liners, pads to menstrual cups, period underwear and reusable pads.”

“To clarify for Dane, tampons absorb blood from inside the vagina. A tampon is also made of absorbent material, but it's compressed into a small tube. Tampons come in different sizes and absorbencies for heavier and lighter periods. And yes, men can absolutely purchase tampons,” she explained. Meanwhile, “Urinary incontinence is the lack of voluntary control over urination or a lack of bladder control. This can happen to all folks with bladders. Men with incontinence issues, prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease, bladder control and pelvic floor issues might use incontinence pads,” Marlowe said.

To clarify Dane more, Marlowe explained that these are absorbent pads constructed specifically for men and are designed to accommodate the male body. “There are pads designed for men to absorb urine leaks and dribbles to protect clothing. These urine guard pads come in several shapes, sizes and absorbency levels to meet individual needs. The lighter the absorbency, the less intrusive they are and the greater the discreetness.”

“We regularly donate both menstrual and incontinence pads to folks in need at I Support the Girls. We recognize both are important products and we accept and donate them daily. Everyone should be comfortable buying and using whatever they want,” the founder of ISTG concluded.