This one's for the ladies
Home » Blog » Miyuki McGuffie » This one's for the ladiesMiyuki McGuffie explores an alternative to the tried and true tampon, takes her eco-cred to the next level and implores women to consider doing the same.
'Red tide' photo by Mr Ducke via Flickr
Even in this modern world, menstruation is still a taboo subject. The fact that we refer to tampons and pads as 'feminine hygiene products' says it all. So integrated into our lives that it no longer needs marketing, this industry wants you to fear your own body. The less blood you have to deal with, the better.
While I completely agree that tampons are one of the most amazing inventions on earth in terms of convenience, that convenience comes at a cost.
A tampon doesn’t seem like much on its own, but when you add up the amount you might use in one cycle (let’s say four a day x five days = 20) and multiply that by the number of cycles you might have in one lifetime (12 per year from age 13 to 50 = 444), you get almost 10,000 tampons (8,880 to be exact)—and that’s just for one woman that happens to fit my example parameters .
I can’t quite do the math involved to find out how many square metres that is, but you can imagine 8,880 tampons per user would take up a lot of space in landfills and sewerage systems. Not to mention the plastic wrappers, the box, and the plastic wrapper for the box.
Now with all this criticism I’d better have a solution, right?
It’s called a menstrual cup. Without getting too graphic, it’s made of silicone and collects the blood instead of absorbing it. You empty the cup as often as you feel the need (about the same intervals as tampons, if not longer). I bought one here a few cycles ago and I swear it is the best thing I have purchased all year. Never again will I:
- Be caught short of tampons because the cup is always there.
- Have to shop for this necessity on a regular basis because I already have it.
- Waste a tampon at the end of my period because of an unpredictable taper of flow.
- Have to fiddle with tiny pull tabs in the bathroom.
- Feel guilty about a natural bodily function having a negative impact on the earth.
To take my estimations even further, if a typical pack of 16 tampons costs $5, then 10,000 tampons will set you back just over $3,000. Sure, it’s not a great deal over a menstrual life but when you compare it to the $55 cost of one cup that will last forever, that’s a lot of money down the toilet.
What initially got me onto the menstrual cup was a search for washable pads, which I also bought but have found I don’t need because the cup is so well-sealed it doesn’t leak! After only one period with the cup I was confident enough to go sans protection the next time.
I can guess that most women will want to know if the cup is messy. And it’s not! No messier than inserting a regular tampon. It does take a couple goes to get the hang of it but once you’re there it’s no trouble. Emptying a cup is super easy because you’re most likely to be on the toilet when you do it and if there’s a sink nearby, even better (I find it easier to empty and rinse at the same time).
A menstrual cup is an essential consideration for any environmentally minded lady. They’re easy on the earth and easy on the wallet. What more could you ask for?
PS: Comments please! After getting a somewhat disgusted reception from a couple of friends I am interested to hear what other women think. Click here for more information about the menstrual cup.
Thu July 23, 2009 @ 10:04 AM
