Trans activist Kenny Ethan Jones is breaking stigma around periods, one underwear at the time
Women’s issues are, unfortunately, often given more attention when men speak up about them. But what if a transgender man could help bridge the gap between societal expectations and a topic that is still considered taboo yet impacts billions of women and people who menstruate worldwide?
I sit down with Kenny Ethan Jones , a transgender activist, author, and businessman who has launched a period care brand, to discuss his unique perspective and advocacy. “[In] my journey with periods, my mum tried to avoid those conversations with me, but that just led me to feel more confused about how to take care of myself,” Kenny shares.
He adds: “Everyone was scared to be like, ‘well, you have a vagina, and this is what happens when you have a vagina’, I didn’t know what I was doing. I remember my first few periods, I was folding over tissue paper and putting it in a pair of briefs because I felt really embarrassed at the idea of going into a shop and [buying menstruation products].
“I had no idea how to use a tampon. I didn’t want to use a tampon. I didn’t know how frequently I should be changing my pad. Small things because no one’s telling me how I should be taking care of myself first of all.
“Whenever I was picking up products in a shop, it was all [in very feminine packaging].” Kenny came out as a transgender boy at the age of 11.
Now 31 Kenny observes that, compared to today, there were hardly any transgender personalities represented in the media when he was younger, and even fewer trans men. Being sent to an all-girl Catholic school only reinforced the gender dysphoria Kenny was experiencing, which at the time, was not fully understood, even by doctors.
It would take another five years for Kenny to undergo gender-affirming care, starting with puberty blockers. By then, Kenny had already experienced having their period for one year.
Puberty blockers are medications that temporarily pause the physical changes of puberty, often prescribed to transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria, a distress caused by a mismatch between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. By delaying puberty, these medications give individuals more time to explore their gender identity and make informed decisions about future medical care.
“I was amongst the first 98 patients to join Charing Cross when they became a specifically trans facility. So there weren’t a lot of like pathways, essentially to transitioning,” Kenny explains.
Charing Cross Hospital in London previously housed a well-known Gender Identity Clinic (GIC), but the hospital no longer offers gender affirmation surgery. The GIC’s services, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, have been integrated into a new national procurement system and are now accessed through the NHS England pathway, with initial assessments often taking place at the Tavistock Centre in Belsize Lane.
Kenny says: “I was in therapy for maybe five years before they would even entertain the fact that I was transgender. A lot of it was just, ‘oh, you have body dysmorphia’.
“[…] I think I was maybe 16 when I got a [transgender] diagnosis, they put me on blockers first, you have to be 18 to start. [From the age of] 11 to about 16 it was just therapy.”
Due to the lack of access to initial gender-affirming care, Kenny, like many transgender teenagers in his position, attempted to take his own life. It was only after surviving this suicide attempt that Kenny was finally treated with the urgency his situation required by medical professionals. Sadly, many transgender teens in the UK are not so fortunate.
According to Stonewall’s 2017 School Report, nearly half (45%) of trans young people in the UK have attempted to take their own life, and 84% have self-harmed. More recent research from Just Like Us (2021) found that 89% of trans young people in the UK have experienced suicidal thoughts.
The painful gender dysphoria Kenny experienced during his periods eased after he began taking hormone blockers, which stopped menstruations, followed by testosterone. However, his journey gave him an insight that cisgender men rarely encounter: a firsthand understanding of the stigma, discomfort, and lack of support that many people face when it comes to menstruation.
“Just because my anatomy is a certain way doesn’t make me any less of a man.”
Kenny gradually built a strong presence on social media but it was a period-related campaign, perhaps the last thing he ever expected, that propelled him into the spotlight and made him go viral. In 2018, Kenny received an email from his modelling agency at the time about a campaign for a period brand.
Initially, he dismissed it, assuming it must have been a mistake. However, his agent encouraged him to take a closer look.
To Kenny’s surprise, the campaign was centered on opening up conversations about menstruation for all people who bleed, not just cisgender women. While the campaign’s advocacy for period inclusivity piqued Kenny’s interest, he was concerned about how it would be received, particularly within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Kenny’s main concern was that emphasising biological sex and female anatomy in the campaign might harm or be used against the trans community, since biological sex is often a target to dismiss or invalidate trans people. Kenny says: “Then I had a couple of friends that I spoke to about [the campaign], and they were like, ‘in a perfect world would you do it?
“If it wasn’t going to end up being a backlash to the trans community, would you do it?’ I said, absolutely’.”
Consequently, at the age of 23, Kenny appeared alongside other activists, fashion designers and writers in the ‘I’M ON’ campaign that was launched by the now discontinued period subscription service Pink Parcel. The groundbreaking campaign aimed to break down period stigma by highlighting that transgender men can also experience menstruation.
“I think they were too early for their time as a business, if I’m honest. But the message got out,” Kenny says.
He adds: “It worked. Like it was incredible. I remember looking at my phone that morning [the campaign came out] and the first [message] being from an old friend from school on Facebook being like, ‘I knew you’d be someone special’.”
Kenny shares that while the majority of the feedback to the campaign was positive, especially from cisgender women who appreciated the new perspective, he did receive the apprehended backlash from some trans men.
Some felt uncomfortable with their bodies being associated with periods or femininity, which Kenny understood and respected. “But for me, it was like, we’re not going to make any progress by ignoring the fact that that’s the reality of the situation,” Kenny says.
“Just because my anatomy is a certain way doesn’t make me any less of a man. And I had worked through that. So for me, I didn’t care about the misalignment.”
The campaign launched Kenny further into a career of activism and social media influence.
He quickly grew from having 7,000 followers on Instagram to 155,000. He also went on to write a book entitled Dear Cisgender People, A Guide to Trans Allyship and Empathy, which was published in 2024.
Fast forward to the start of September 2025, Kenny launched his own brand specialising in masculine-styled period underwear, LostFame. Following the I’M ON campaign in 2018, Kenny reveals he consulted with many period product companies on inclusivity, often suggesting products specifically for trans men.
However, he found most companies didn’t see a market for it and weren’t interested in developing such products. Frustrated by this, Kenny decided to create his own brand, LostFame, to fill the gap.
He spent two years prototyping period underwear with a masculine cut, designed not only for trans men, but also for non-binary people, masculine-presenting lesbians, and anyone who prefers a more masculine style. The underwear is inclusive in sizing and design, with features a two-layer construction for extra absorbency and is made from soft, high-quality materials.
Kenny also considered the fit for Black bodies, addressing the lack of diversity in existing period underwear. LostFame currently offers three thoughtfully designed period underwear models, each catering to different needs and preferences while maintaining a focus on comfort, style, and inclusivity.
The Alex (£45) is a long-legged, masculine-cut boxer featuring a unique two-in-one construction: an outer layer that looks and feels like classic boxers, and a built-in absorbent inner brief for reliable, leak-free protection. Alex also includes a built-in pouch in the crotch, specifically designed for trans people who want to wear a packer, and offers extra crotch space for those who use disposable pads or need additional room for comfort.
The Charlie (£35) is a minimalist period brief crafted from a soft, breathable bamboo blend, offering a snug and supportive fit with light absorbency. Lastly, the Riley (£40) brings the familiar fit of classic boxer shorts with a special two-in-one construction, combining a boxer-style outer layer with an absorbent inner brief.
“I thought if I could make a boxer for Little Kenny, how would I make it? And that one [the Alex] was really for me because Alex has a space for a packer as well. So if you wanted to pack whilst on your period, you could do that.”
Trans men sometimes wear a packer, a prosthetic device designed to create a bulge in the underwear, giving the appearance of male genitalia.
“Packing” is a common practice among some trans men and non-binary people as a way to feel more comfortable and affirmed in their gender presentation. “I wanted a brand that had a masculine edge,” Kenny says.
“You know, anyone can experience periods. And if you want something that fits a bit more masculine, that’s what this is for.”
Unfortunately, like many topics related to women’s rights and women’s health, period advocacy is often taken more seriously when it comes from a man, even though it shouldn’t be that way, something Kenny is acknowledging.
“This is how most of my stuff gets picked up and why I think my career as an influencer, so to speak, has been successful in my eyes, I think it’s because, [I’m passing as a cisgender man],” Kenny admits.
“If I don’t tell you, I wait to tell you that I’m trans. So if I’m talking about periods and then I say, I talk about periods because I experience them, it’s like, ‘so you used to be a woman?’
“You’ve gained respect for me, seeing me as cis.” He adds: “I think in terms of talking about periods, unfortunately, trans or not, I think that holds more authority to some people than women point blank, which is unfortunate.
“It’s sad, it shouldn’t come to that. You should be listening to the person that has the most personal experience.”
As Kenny emphasises his deep respect for women and believes there’s a lot men can learn from them, he says: “Periods are nothing to be ashamed about, and if you don’t like the conventional products for periods, then we have something better. We have an alternative.”
You can purchase LostFame products using this link . To buy Kenny’s book, Dear Cisgender People: A Guide to Trans Allyship and Empathy, you can use this link .