To be annoyed that Sainsbury's will no longer sell plastic applicator tampons?

[caddywally]

It's not a massive issue at the moment because I can buy them elsewhere, but if other shops follow suit I'm going to be condemned to a life of using pads because I don't get on with non-applicator or cardboard applicator tampons. I can't use menstrual cups, either.

I understand the problem with plastic but don't see why women who rely on plastic applicator tampons should suffer when there is excess plastic everywhere. I already live a fairly eco-friendly life - no car, 1 holiday in the past 10 years, rarely eat meat, most of the stuff I own is second hand (mainly for financial reasons than anything else, admittedly) - and I don't see why I should have miserable periods when there are people whose lifestyles are much worse for the environment than mine. I also don't flush sanitary products down the toilet, which I assumed was common sense. I probably am being unreasonable and should just suck it up for the sake of environment!

Removing disposable nappies is discrimination against people with disabilities.

Before all you virtue signallers get on the high horse that business leads you down (worse products for same price or more) why don't you attack the cost of public transport? Surely this should be free? Talk about that. Stop attacking the little people and go after the big fish otherwise you are all just falling for corporate PR and "green campaigns" that won't do squat.

OP, the ModiBodis are great! I’ve been using them for my last four cycles (wearing them right now!). You don’t have to change them during the day, and they absorb so quickly, much quicker than any pads I’ve ever used can. I was very impressed when I first used them.

I’ve not been brave enough to use them on Day 2 (my heaviest day) yet, as I am extremely heavy on those days. But, like I said, very impressed. I’ve invested in two pairs of the high-waisted (they are bloody expensive, no pun intended).

Agree with you. I use a cup but its just typical that something related to women goes first! Periods are a pain and anything which makes them easier is brilliant. Maybe put up more of a choice for reusable menstrual products. Reduce packaging. Stop using plastic in the cafe. There are far more single use plastics they could target!

The plastic ones end up inside sea animals and killing them ... and other items
Plastic bags choke them and straws dig into their orifices so it’s important to understand what behind the ban

I'll admit that I struggle with this. Most women have penetrative sex - which means that a penis is going into their vaginas. How can they not fit a tampon/mooncup in?

It's not like they can't fit it in! Don't be thick. It's that it won't stay in, or sits at an uncomfortable angle or doesn't keep the blood from dripping out!

I can only use plastic applicators too (and yes I have tried everything else) and I'll keep using them - just order them from somewhere other than Sainsburys so that'll add an extra delivery to the roads - well done Sainsburys. I haven't flown internationally in nearly 20 years and haven't been in a plane in nearly 10, have one car that I share with husband yada yada. But I won't put up with having an uncomfortable vagina while the rest of you all jet off on your holidays every summer. And yep, typical virtue signalling with a women's product rather than anything that affects men.

If disposable nappies were removed it would not be discrimination against disabled people. Disposable nappies have only existed for a relatively tiny amount of time.

Bet it was a man made the decision.

OP why can’t you use menstrual cups? The thought horrified me until a year ago and now I can’t imagine ever going back to tampons/pads, totally life changing.

I don't think we will as a society do anything to tackle climate change, because even the smallest changes are argued against.

If disposable nappies were removed it would not be discrimination against disabled people. Disposable nappies have only existed for a relatively tiny amount of time.

It absolutely would. They depend on them for their whole lives so how is it right for able bodied people to ban them? Complete discrimination.

There were solutions before disposable nappies existed.

So why, Cavalier, pick on sanitary products? In Sainsbury's (and I'm picking on them because the OP mentions them specifically, but all supermarkets are the same), practically all fruit and veg are packaged in plastic. Grapes, for instance, come in a plastic box which is then packaged in a further plastic wrapper. Plastic is bloody everywhere.

I'm not, personally, overly bothered about this as I buy all my fruit and veg in a local market, where it is 'packaged' in brown paper bags. I also don't buy stuff that's out of season, because stuff that's imported tastes less good (not because I'm environmentally sound). But lucky me: I live within walking distance of a great market, and can visit it on a daily basis. Who knows what I'd do if I had to cram in bulk food shopping at Sainsbury's on my way home from work.

Your comment sounds a little bit naive, really, Cavalier. It seems that you're saying that plastic applicator tampons are solely responsible for killing sea animals.

There are some people on this thread who are extremely unaware of how common vaginal pain can be.

“Just shove it up there, get over it.”
“A penis is going into their vaginas.”

Gosh, lucky for them that it’s so easy. If my husband and I are planning to have penetrative sex (rare), it starts with me applying lots and lots of numbing cream internally so that I can handle it.

Don’t they know anybody with endometriosis? Vaginismus, primary or secondary? Lack of natural oestrogen?

I literally can't get non applicator tampons in either, I never have been able to. If there weren't applicator ones then I wouldn't be able to use tampons at all. I'd much prefer cardboard applicators tbh so will be looking into that. Have been out of the country once in the past 10 years and barely buy anything so I hope that goes some way to make up for it.

And as for just a bit of nipping for a few seconds, I found that scraping my insides like that gave me thrush (I'd had to use plastic applicators a couple of times when nothing else was available).

No one would expect the same bra shape to be suitable for every woman, or for us all to wear the same style of underwear. We expect penises to vary in size and shape from man to man, we women are as varied in our anatomy, it's just hidden.

Not sure if possible but could you put a non applicator tampon into the plastic applicator so that it is being reused?

Removing disposable nappies is discrimination against people with disabilities.

Surely the least discriminatory path in any case is making them available on prescription to those with severe enough disabilities, the vast majority of whom will get free prescriptions? As it is, the huge bulk of nappies sold are for babies and young children, it would be madness not to stop this for such a tiny group.

There were solutions before disposable nappies existed.

Yes and toilet paper affects the environment too. Would you be demanding that banned? It would have to be at the same time as nappies. Oh and water for toilets, are we going to ration that? Only a certain number of flushes per day. We shouldn't be discriminating, as you know. Maybe we'll only allow people to flush with the rain water they can collect.

FFS. Get ahold of yourself people with the virtue signalling bollocks.

OP why can’t you use menstrual cups?

It wouldn't work. I don't want to go into much detail but I have problems with things over a certain size and I think a menstrual cup would be too much.

Have you heard of DAME, it’s a reusable applicator, so might just work for you. You can buy their tampons or other applicator free ones.

chocolatespiders

Possibly! But I think if I were to go down that route, I'd just buy the reusable ones mentioned earlier in the thread as I imagine it's a lot easier with them.

Well, this thread is an absolute revelation! I haven’t used tampons since about 1992, I had no idea there was such a thing as a plastic tampon applicator! I used to find the cardboard ones perfectly fine.

Those touting reusable pads, mooncups and the reusable applicator - What do you suggest for people like me who can't use cardboard applicators but also being disabled on benefits absolutely can not afford those expensive options?

Not everyone can use cups, Birdtablegreen. I said upthread that having a cervical prolapse rules me out. There are no doubt other conditions which have the same effect. Mooncup are very good at advising. It turns out that non-applicator tampons are the only ones that work with my particular prolapse. Though I am quite sure that other women would have different experiences, because we are all different. Which is why Sainsbury's should bugger off and leave us alone, and take their right-on-ness somewhere else.

Removing disposable nappies is discrimination against people with disabilities.
And poor women who can't afford either a washing machine or water to wash nappies.

Some of you have no idea how other women live.