I know this thread is about a particular type of period product, but I found this article on how women manage their periods in countries that don't have access to the kind of protection we are used to very interesting. What struck me is the ingenuity of the women, and their awareness that modern western products aren't necessarily the best for them. Reasons include cost, but also the difficulty of disposal.
In many countries, women most frequently use cloth during menstruation, according to the charity. Cloth is reusable and, for many women, is seen as a cheaper and more sustainable methodology than sanitary pads. In India alone, roughly 121 million women are of reproductive age, according to WaterAid: if all of them used just eight sanitary pads a month, that would amount to 12bn pads a year. Sangita, 32, from Nepal, makes her own sanitary pads instead. “Ready-made pads are costly and if you do not dispose [of] them properly it will pollute the environment,” she says.
And there is this method:
Limpo, 22, from Zambia, uses cow dung, which she collects from the plains. She dries out the patties and shapes them into small pieces. She cannot afford to use sanitary pads, she says. “I do not put the cow patties directly on my skin, I wrap it in a cloth and place it nicely to capture the flow without staining other clothes,” she explains.
“I like this method because cow patties soak up a lot of blood before they are completely soaked. I go about doing all sorts of things without any trouble. Once soaked, I carefully dispose of it privately. I usually dig a small hole in the ground and bury it. In our culture, it is not allowed that men see such things.
I haven't had to worry about periods for well over a decade now, but I do remember the sheer bother of it all, and am thankful that sanitary towels, and later, tampons, were available for girls in the 1960s, and we didn't have to use cloths. On the other hand I now feel guilty about how much damage to the environment disposal of such products must have caused.
Which is why I find the invention of products like Mooncups encouraging.
Extract:
"Claire, 40, from Manchester, uses pads, tampons and a Mooncup when she menstruates.“The tampons and pads are made of 100% cotton and are perfume and chlorine free, as well as being biodegradable. The Mooncup is made out of silicon and is plastic-free. You insert the moon cup into your vagina and then the little head sticks out, so that you can pull it out again,” she says.
“My main consideration is that these products are better for the environment. I made a lifestyle choice to reduce waste. Before becoming more environmentally conscious, I used regular supermarket brands. With the Mooncup, a side benefit is that it saves me having to buy much of the normal products, as the cup is reusable. I like using it because I can leave it in longer than a tampon, it’s safer for the body."
www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/apr/13/cloth-cow-dung-cups-how-the-worlds-women-manage-their-periods