Adira's Conviction: Why Deepa Vari Refuses To Make Bleed-Into Period Panties?

ADIRA'S CONVICTION

At Adira, we believe every product should put women's health and hygiene first. Every product begins with one question: Is this truly in the best interest of women?

This page shares Deepa Vari's journey, the principles behind Adira's Period Panty, and the reasons she chose not to manufacture bleed-into period panties.

For a deeper understanding of the scientific literature, published research, and the questions that shaped this conviction, read "Are Bleed-Into Period Panties Safe for You?"

Yes, I Lost a Marketplace.

Yes, I lost a marketplace.

Yes, I continue to lose sales every month.

But if protecting women and girls costs me business, that is a price I am willing to pay.

My name is Deepa Vari.

I am the founder of Adira and the inventor of India's First Period Panty.

For over 17 years, my work has been guided by one simple belief:

Women's health, hygiene and dignity must always come before commercial success.

This page is not about losing a marketplace.

It is about choosing conviction over convenience.

It is about asking difficult questions.

And it is about standing by a principle, even when it comes at a cost.

January 2026

The Moment Everything Changed

In January 2026, I learned that Adira's Period Panty could be delisted from Amazon because my Patented Period Panty and Bleed-Into Period Panties were being treated as the same product category.

The decision before me was straightforward.

I could redesign my product, manufacture bleed-into period panties, and continue selling without interruption.

Or I could continue standing by a product philosophy that I had believed in for years.

The commercial decision was easy.

The ethical decision was much harder.

I chose the harder path.

This Did Not Start In 2026

Many people assume my position began only after commercial consequences appeared.

It did not.

Years earlier, when bleed-into period panties started becoming popular around 2020, I made a personal decision that I would never manufacture them.

I would not wear one myself.

I would not recommend one to my daughters.

At that time, I had not yet reviewed scientific literature or standards.

My decision came from instinct, experience, and years of designing menstrual products.

As a woman, a mother, and an inventor, I believed menstrual hygiene deserved careful thought.

So I continued building products based on the principles I already believed in.

India's First Period Panty

I invented India's First Period Panty in 2009.

The goal was simple.

Prevent stains.

Maintain hygiene.

Give women confidence.

My invention was designed to be worn with a pad.

The absorbent layer could be changed.

The hygiene decision remained in the hands of the woman wearing it.

That principle has never changed.

Blood Is Not Water

"I AM 50. 480 PERIODS LATER. BLOOD IS NOT WATER."

For decades, women saw blue water demonstrations in advertisements.

We knew periods weren't blue.

But we also knew something else.

We changed our pads.

Because periods are not just about blood.

They are about hygiene.

The more I thought about bleed-into period panties, the more one question bothered me:

If menstrual fluid is not water, why are products often demonstrated and tested as though it is?

That question became the beginning of months of research.

February – May 2026

The Research Phase

I was not looking for evidence that I was right.

I hoped I would find evidence that proved me wrong.

Instead, I spent months reading published scientific literature, reviewing standards, and studying menstrual health.

My review included research on:

• Menstrual fluid composition
• Cervicovaginal microbiome
• Vaginal health
• Product absorbency testing
• Menstrual hygiene practices
• Existing standards

The more I learned, the stronger my conviction became.

Questions Every Woman Deserves Answers To

I am not asking women to agree with me.

I am asking questions.

Questions I believe deserve answers.

Why I Respectfully Disagree

I respectfully disagree with treating my patented Period Panty and bleed-into period panties as the same product category.

In my view, they represent fundamentally different design philosophies.

One is designed around changing the absorbent layer.

The other is designed around retaining menstrual fluid inside the garment.

I believe that distinction matters.

The Price I Am Paying

I lost a marketplace.

I continue to lose sales.

The easier path would have been to manufacture bleed-into period panties.

The easier path would have been to comply.

I chose not to.

Because if I genuinely believe something may not be in the best interests of women and girls, silence is not an option.

My Promise

I am not asking anyone to agree with me.

I am asking that questions remain welcome.

I am asking that science remain open.

I am asking that women's health remain more important than marketing.

After more than seventeen years of designing products for women, serving over seven lakh customers, experiencing hundreds of periods myself, and raising two daughters whom I care deeply about, I cannot ignore the questions that brought me here.

I will continue asking them.

I will continue listening to science.

And I will continue designing products that I genuinely believe are in the best interests of women.

— Deepa Vari
Inventor of India's First Period Panty
Founder, Adira

References & Documents

The following documents support the information presented on this page:

• BIS Representation PDF
• Indian Patent Certificate
• US Patent Certificate
• Research Papers Reviewed
• Media Coverage