Have you seen this about tampons?

[natalieplusone]

Oh no i use tampons!

www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/28/toxic-pesticide-levels-found-in-tampons-40-times-higher-than-legal-limit-for-water

Considering the vast vast majority of cervical cancers are caused by hpv, I’m not going to feel overly concerned. I might try a mooncup though!

I stopped using tampons in my mid 20s as I was going travelling and a mooncup was the better option.
The switch cleared me of cramps almost entirely. So I never went back, even when I hit 40 and couldn’t comfortably use a cup anymore.

I wish I could get on with cups. I've tried 4 different ones, watched all the videos about how to insert properly but they all feel horrible. I shouldn't feel them right? But they all felt like I can only describe as trying to walk around with a concrete dildo inserted up there. Painful and just there all the time.

Period pants are fine if you don't flood but I do and I also hate the sensory feeling of wetness, which you get if you have larger clots that dont absorb into the pants.

Did you try a different cup? There are many different brands and styles, common to need a different cup after childbirth (firmer or softer, different size, length etc) but no reason at all you can’t find one that works after childbirth. Sounds like you probably just needed a different one.

Just a note to posters that Mooncup is one brand of menstrual cup, there are so many different ones and it’s absolutely not one size fits all.

This quiz can help point you in the right direction if you’d like to consider one
putacupinit.com/quiz/

This is a worry for me as I find tampons the only thing to help with my prolapse so I wear them all month. I was told by both a physio and gynaecologist to continue doing this as pessaries kept falling out whereas tampons worked well. If I don't wear them I get bladder pain and heaviness.

I agree. I feel like younger people new to periods are more inclined to use reusable. My DD does so she doesn't need to change at school. I just wash them later. But I'm not going to switch. I've been having periods the last 26 years and I get along well with pads.

I use a combination of all but there’s no way I would remove disposable in their entirety. It’s not manageable.

A quick look at supermarket shelves suggests that yes, people do still use tampons and pads. I'm not sure why it is madness. People are entitled to use what they prefer without criticism.

Yes, I use disposables myself. Reusable are only convenient if you're near to home with washing facilities. Out and about or away you're going to have to carry used product around with you. I just prefer disposable pads, I'm set in my ways and my period is hard enough without adding anything else that's going to be inconvenient. My daughter uses reusable because they're convenient for her. She can leave them on for the school day and just change once she gets home.

Just a wee note for anyone considering a cup from all the enthusiasm, they work on a suction basis - so if you’ve got any risk factors for prolapse they may be a poor choice. Theoretically ok, but that’s only with a grade technique every single time.

tampax is one of the culprits (they are owned by Procter & Gamble) so no suprise as P&G have a history of awful products.

someone mentioned the brand FLO as being safe to use. It looks like a good option although I have never heard of it!

Lillets do an organic range (since my prolapse I can only use non applicator tampons, I used to love my cups) and Natracare are are getting easier to buy. I haven’t yet found any organic ultras though which is what I need

Judging by the rate that our free pads and Tampons go at work, I think the majority still use them.
I tried a mooncup and it gave me bv, never had it before or since. It also used to leak because I have a heavy flow so I had to double up with a pad anyway.

For those of you who use flo how do they compare to tampax? There are lots of bad reviews about leakage.

Lus vaginal absorption is twice that of the oral route, so the issue isn't simply that of it being much higher than permitted levels in water. Source:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9876534/

the mean maximal plasma concentration using the vaginal route was twice that of the oral route. As such, vaginal medication administration can provide prolonged, continuous drug delivery, using a lower dose.

Reusable all the way.
Moon cup
Period pants
Handmade pads

The latter two feel like luxury compared to disposable anyway.

Yes Florence tampons are ok.
I've just asked chatGTP and it said this:
Yes, FLO tampons are pesticide-free. They are made from 100% organic cotton certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which ensures that the cotton is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or harmful chemicals. Additionally, FLO tampons are free from synthetic fibers, chlorine bleach, artificial dyes, and fragrances, and are approved by gynecologists.Â

This commitment to using organic and non-toxic materials makes FLO tampons a safer and more sustainable choice for menstrual care.

Why the faux surprise, @pontivex? You obviously know lots of people still use tampons because they are still on shelves in all pharmacies and supermarkets? What do you get out of pretending you don’t know that millions of women still use them?

Can't use moon cup as I have an IUD and the suction could pull it out- was advised by GP. Periods too heavy for period pants- I get huge clots due to peri which would mean at work I'd have to be changing and storing soiled period pants 5-6 times a day which is utterly grim having to carry around bloody knickers. They would smell far worse than tampons ever would.

I dont know why people insist everyone is the same as them or what works for them is great for everyone else.

Reusable pads are easy to store in a pul bag.

Mine have poppers on them to snap around the gusset of my undies and I also use the snaps to fold the used pad in on itself and snap it shut.

At first I was freaked put about whether it should smell but honestly it never does. The weird period smell for me was actually disposable products. I used to smell my period as soon as I went to the loo but with reusable, I could honestly sniff a used pad and not smell anything (I obviously don't! My point is just that periods don't smell, products do. I also find they absorb better and blood doesn't sit on the pad in the same way.)

Sorry for making a massive tangent!

@EggnogNoggin thanks I'll look into this. I generally prefer tampons because the clots coming out on pads feel disgusting and it feels like wearing a nappy (sorry to be graphic) so for me, tampons are far more comfortable. I am going to look into the Flo ones.

I am through menopause now.However I have never managed to insert one and nor has DD! DM used them as a horrible sort of belt thing with loops(managed to avoid this!)was the alternative .Find that modern sticky back pads were fine

I used the mooncup for years but went back to pads and have stuck with them. Tried reusable ones but they were shit. About to try some organic pads as I hate the plasticky ones.

I've never heard that IUD means you can't use a mooncup.

Mooncup and IUD user here, never had any issues.

The heavy absorption period pants really are good. They absorb more than a super max tampon plus pad ime.

Even without the toxicity, shoving a foreign object in and leaving it there, not letting the wound drain blood? Only a man could invent something like that, a semblance of a small penis.