Facebook blocked advertisements for numerous companies that sell products catered toward women experiencing menopause despite allowing ads for companies that target men's health issues like erectile dysfunction, CNBC reports.
Over the past year and a half, Pulse, a direct-to-consumer startup selling lubricant for women experiencing menopause, has had the majority of its ads rejected by Facebook, according to the report.
Pulse, along with similar companies like Genneve and Unbound, claim they have to be "overly cautious" about the terminology they choose for their Facebook ads to avoid being rejected or blocked. Genneve's ads have previously been rejected for mentioning symptoms of menopause, such as "hot flashes," "headaches" and "no sleep," among others, according to the report.
Meanwhile, companies that focus on male sexual health are able to run ads with terms such as "E.D.," which stands for erectile dysfunction, and "premature ejaculation."
"It has been a battle with Facebook. It has been basically gender bias with Facebook," Pulse CEO Amy Buckalter told CNBC.
In a statement to CNBC, a Facebook representative said the social media giant holds all ads to equal advertising standards.
"Facebook has long had a policy that limits ads with adult content and adult products in part because we take into account the wide array of people from varying cultures and countries who see them. We continue to review these specific ads," the statement read.