Getting on Top with Meika Hollender

Our goal: make birth control simple — because, there is no doubt that birth control is wildly complex.

Pill Club
pillclub
4 min readNov 7, 2017

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image courtesy of North Star Way

Not only is the topic controversial, but sexual health can carry emotions, actions, and politics that span the spectrum of experiences from intense, gratifying pleasure to gross, generalized offenses.

To isolate a single part of sexual health, like birth control, proves fruitless, because it’s constantly wrapped up in other topics. Some topics are easy to discuss. Others may be uncomfortable to talk about or difficult to listen to. Because these topics are present in our everyday lives, we want to begin exploring them.

The more talk there is, the more normalized we can feel in our own skins.

As The Pill Club embarks on this journey, we look to role models in the field — individuals who have already shattered barriers and redefined what it means to be empowered.

portraits courtesy of Twitter, Sakara, and Girlboss

Meet Meika Hollender — the founder of Sustain.

Sustain provides natural condoms as well as other products for pleasure, such as lubricants and wipes. Not only are they revolutionizing sexual experiences, they’re also investing in solving problems with a multi-faceted lens.

Without any hesitation, we present Meika — please enjoy!

Describe yourself in 4 sentences.

I am the co-founder of Sustain, the first brand of all natural condoms, lubricants and wipes marketed to women. I started Sustain because for too long women have been stigmatized for being sexual. I decided to change all that and create a brand that empowers women to take control of their sexual health with better, safer products.

image courtesy of Sustain’s Facebook

What does sex-positivity mean to you?

Sex-positivity to me means me in control of my body. It means never feeling ashamed for being sexual. It means never having sex with someone who makes you feel anything less then great about yourself. It means treating women and men equally when it comes to sex and to never judge people for doing what’s natural.

image courtesy of http://letsgetontop.com/

Sustain engages in socially responsible and sustainable practices and serves as a model for other businesses in this light. What inspired you to choose condoms as the agent of change?

Condoms are incredible because when you make them sustainably (ie. Fair Trade latex, free of harmful chemicals) they are a net positive product. What that means is that by creating a product that prevents unplanned pregnancy and STDs, even with the minimal waste of throwing away the condom, the impact on people and the planet is overall positive.

My father, and business partner, Jeffrey Hollender the founder of Seventh Generation, was really inspired to get into the condom business because of it’s unique positioning as a net positive product and it’s critical to us that every single thing we make has a positive impact on our customers and the planet.

image courtesy of Into The Gloss

What vision do you have for Sustain in terms of breaking down barriers and/or reducing stigma around reproductive health?

My vision is to create a world where women talk about sex openly and honestly, and never with judgment. Where women have the products, education and information they need to get on top of their sexual health. Where all sexual wellness products are created in a way that won’t harm them, their partners, or the world.

image courtesy of http://letsgetontop.com/

What is one piece of advice that you would give teens and young adults?

To start talking about sex! The first step in having safe, fulfilling and pleasurable sex is to talk about it with friends, parents, doctors, and partners. By not talking about it we end up putting ourselves and our bodies at risk, and ultimately perpetuate the stigma associated with women who are sexual.

image courtesy of Unsplash

Thank you to Meika for taking the time to interview!

If you liked this article or are a fan of birth control and women’s health, let us know by clapping 👏 (you can clap up to 50 times!).

We’re also quite social, and you can find us on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Originally published by Yenling Yang, Senior Patient Manager at The Pill Club, at thepillclubblog.blogspot.com on November 7, 2016.

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Pill Club
pillclub

Healthcare startup focused on providing access to birth control and emergency contraception in a monthly care package to promote a healthy lifestyle 💃