“People living in rural and remote areas already face challenges accessing sexual healthcare and wellness products, which makes tackling this stigma all the more important.”
Share Satisfaction owner Nicola Relph says rural women need better access to sexual wellbeing products.
Fieldays is the largest agricultural showcase in the Southern Hemisphere, it features more than 1100 exhibitors and vendors that showcase key aspects of rural life.
One of the most popular hubs is the Health and Wellbeing Hub, which features exhibits from Rural Support, Bowel Cancer New Zealand and the Breast Cancer Foundation.
This year will also include stalls from Fertility Associates, Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa and Chemist Warehouse.
Speaking to Coast and Country News in May, Mark Eager, the chief executive of Mobile Health, said the Health and Wellbeing Hub was “as big as it’s ever been”.
“Rural people don’t have a chance to access such services all under one roof.”
Relph said access issues were particularly acute in farming communities, where travel distances and time away from work can make healthcare harder to access.
“Fieldays is one of the few calendar events where they make a real effort to attend and are highly engaged, making it a prime opportunity to educate and normalise open conversation about sexual wellness, pelvic health and overall wellbeing.”
She said the need for better access was especially important for rural women, given maternal, sexual, and reproductive health have long been priority issues in rural communities.
“Having a presence at Fieldays is not just about the products for us – it’s more about having those open, honest conversations and breaking down barriers to sexual wellness.”
Relph said the company would have taken a conservative approach to its display if it had been permitted to exhibit, forgoing phallic pelvis products in favour of Kegel balls and dilators.
Share Satisfaction’s certified sex educator Emma Hewitt-Johnson said postpartum sexual health was already often overlooked in care for new mothers.
“Unfortunately, postpartum sex, pleasure and intimacy is rarely part of the conversation with doctors and midwives.”
Fieldays is one of the biggest events in the agricultural calendar.
In a statement to the Herald, Fieldays reiterated the decision was made in line with exhibitor guidelines restricting R18 products and content at the event.
“Fieldays is a family-friendly, agricultural event with a diverse audience, including a significant number of young people,” it said.
The organisation said it also reserves the right to accept or decline applications that do not align with the event’s purpose of advancing agriculture.
It acknowledged the importance of sexual health and wellbeing, noting the “family-friendly” Fieldays Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub formed an important part of the expo programme.
Fieldays said its policies are reviewed regularly and it would be open to future proposals.