Menstruation is such a taboo subject in our dumb society and I’m so over it. I’m angry as hell that I didn’t have the education to know what was going on with my body and felt like I couldn’t ask questions about it. I’m pissed at a society that taught me tampons and pads were my only options.
I’m not pretending to be an expert on this stuff, but I’ve done my research and feel confident in encouraging others to do theirs.
Tampons and pads are convenient. But they are expensive, disposable, full of chemicals, made of plastic, and are not sustainable. Consider how many products you used during your last cycle and multiply that by the number of cycles in your life time, and then by the number of menstruator’s in the world. That’s a fuck ton of waste created.
In addition to this stuff filling up landfills, it’s filling our bodies with chemicals. Tampons are made using cotton and/or poly fibers that are usually farmed using harsh pesticides. The cotton is then bleached using chlorine. Then you stick these things into an incredibly absorbent (and sensitive) part of the body, which soaks up all the chemicals. So now you have all these chemicals entering your body (some of them unknown because tampons are virtually unregulated, and do not have to disclose the ingredients used to make them) and we don’t even know what the effects of these chemicals will be. One can avoid most of these chemicals by using organic tampons, but they still create a lot of waste.
Something that is a totally new idea to me, is that the average pad contains the same amount of plastic as four plastic bags. Obviously this is creating a ton of waste, but it’s also exposing a rather sensitive part of your body to a ton of plastic and the chemicals in it. This can lead to yeast and bacteria growth or even organ damage.
To avoid subjecting your body and the environment to these disposable demons, consider purchasing an alternative, of which there are many.
One of these alternatives is the menstrual cup. There are a ton of different brands available, most notable is the Diva Cup. Menstrual cups are little cups inserted into the cervix that catch all the stuff flowing out. The cups are safe for your body and are reusable (they recommend to replace them about once a year), saving you cash and preventing a lot of waste from ending up in landfills. Not so knee on inserting? Try cloth pads instead.
These sustainable alternatives to menstrual products can also benefit the millions of menstruator’s around the world that do not have the means, or access to purchase these necessities. Sustainable products like the menstrual cup or cloth pads can be purchased or donated once, and last much longer. Next time you purchase, consider doubling your order and donating a sustainable product to a menstruator in need.
Disclaimer – I in no way want to shame fellow menstrator’s for the products they choose to use, as I understand that access to these products is a privilege and not everyone has access to them. However, if you have the privilege, I encourage you to explore sustainable options and support community members in accessing these products as well.
The Long Defeat 