I am writing to ask that the current Thinx underwear ads be removed from the subway system. These ads for "underwear for women with periods" are vulgar, offensive, and degrading to women. The Thinx company does not represent the opinions or sensibilities of all women -- or the men in their lives. Comparing women’s anatomy and biological functions to grapefruits and chicken eggs will not encourage respect for their dignity as human beings.

The developers of the campaign seem to believe that women will benefit and be empowered by having public attention called to issues of feminine hygiene in the detailed and graphic ways they employ in their ads. I disagree. Lots of women take care of their personal hygiene quite nicely without throwing the subject up for public discussion on the morning commute. Unfortunately, these women’s choices are irrelevant as long as the Thinx ads are displayed in public. The ads deprive women of the option to keep private things private. Imaginations of subway customers are directed by these vulgar ads to very intimate and private issues without regard for individual women's desires and sensibilities.

As Governor Cuomo's office wrote to the MTA in 2014 with regard to offensive ads for breast augmentation, “The MTA is a public conveyance, subsidized by $190 million annually in the state budget, plus over $5 billion in dedicated taxes. The public has a right to expect that the MTA will strive for a family-friendly environment.”

Riders have a right to a subway environment free of ads that make them feel offended or violated or invade their privacy. The MTA should show respect for its riders by removing these offensive ads.