I added some folders of photos to my last post, so I highly recommend checking those out!
Life in London is going great! Yesterday, I visited Tottenham Court Road area to do some shopping and grab fish and chips from a top-rated spot. I did some searching because I wasn’t sure what the CVS/Target/Walgreens equivalent was here, and I found Boots as the next best option. There was a Boots nearby, so I stopped in because I also needed nail polish. The store looked similar to a Walgreens, but I found it next to impossible to find anything sexual health related. There were no condoms, lube, or any other forms of contraceptives and products.
Today, I went to Covent Garden, which is a large outdoor shopping area in London. It was one of my favorite spots last time I came since they have shops that are challenging to find in the US, so I was super excited to go. I stopped at Zara, Glossier, Waterstones, Poke House for lunch, and ended the day with delicious desserts from WA Cafe, a Japanese pastry shop. They also have a HUGE Boots there, so I thought I would have more luck finding what I was looking for. When I walked in, the first floor looked more like walking into a mall with tons of beauty counters. They had Clinique, Benefit Brow, Fenty Beauty, and much more available, and I was confused about where all of the health items were. I asked an employee who told me that is all on the second floor. I went upstairs to find a lot more beauty products including hair and skin care, but I finally found some medical products as I kept walking. One of the aisles that stood out to me was the “Women’s Wellbeing” which included products for UTIs, pregnancy tests, various at-home tests that I have never heard of, and menopause products. There was also a “Feminine Hygiene” section that contained typical vaginal hygiene products like Vagisil and washes. On the opposite side, the “Men’s Wellbeing” products were deodorant, hair care, and Viagara was the only item related to sex. The difference was quite striking. I noticed the usage of gendered language for these products while also using feminine products to promote just a bit of inclusivity. Also, the masculine sections of products did not have any sort of washes or the same tests for infections. It shows the different gendered expectations when engaging in sexual activities. I took note of this, but I realized I still had not seen condoms during any of my trips.
I made about three laps around all of the sections, and I still could not find them. I asked a pharmacist where I could find condoms, and she walked me over to the “Independent Living and Incontinence” section. This was definitely a first to find products under this aisle name, and it was certainly unique. There was a row of sex toys of all sorts, a row of lubes, and two rows of condoms. I chuckled a bit as I noticed there was a high-end, sensual-looking brand called “My Viv” (should I be honored?) that sold massage candles in this aisle. Candles are not typically on my recommended list of sexual health products when providing services, but I was interested. There was also a dilator set which is super rare to find out in stores. Dilators are used to address vaginal tightness and can lead to increased pleasure and experience. Despite it being fairly hidden, Boots had a lot of products I must admit including unusual ones. Based on the products I saw, it was clear that the view of sex as for pleasure for people with any body parts was not uncommon. The variety of products also leads me to believe that it is normal to get some assistance to increase satisfaction and safety, and these are both great sexual health values.
I have a tour tomorrow about feminism and women’s rights in London, so I am looking forward to that! In addition, London has the only museum dedicated to the vagina which I visited in March 2022. It was super cool and interesting, so it was definitely on my list to go back and speak to the staff there. I found out they have a comedy show and event next Wednesday, so I grabbed a ticket for that too. Before then, I plan on heading to the Wellcome Library to look at some of the Marie Stopes archives who is a legend in the field of reproductive health internationally. So many awesome plans coming up! I can’t believe I’m already on day 20 of traveling, it is truly flying by.
