From tampons to menstrual cups
What period products do you use?
Author: Professor Joyce Harper
This weeks Institute for Women’s Health hot topic – what period products do you use? #ifwhhottopics
When I was growing up, we only had two choices: sanitary pads or tampons (I am going to not use the word sanitary again in this article – it is so old fashioned – lets call these period products instead). But now we have menstrual cups, washable pads and even menstrual pants. The great thing about some of the new methods is that they are reusable and eco-friendly.
Period pads are widely used and come in all shapes and sizes but they are not suitable for some physical activities, e.g. swimming, and some women find them uncomfortable. A pad may show if wearing tight clothes and may leak.
Tampons are less obtrusive and do not impact on physical activities. But it is not always comfortable to insert a tampon into the vagina, especially for the first time. There are two types – with and without an applicator which comes down to individual preference.
The skin around the vulva and vagina is very thin and highly permeable. So we have to be very aware that any chemicals in the materials we place in this area will be absorbed directly into our bloodstream.
The FDA first implemented regulation of period products as medical devices in the 1980s, after ingredients in some superabsorbent tampons led to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) that resulted in some deaths. This means the manufacturers did not need to reveal what chemicals were in these products. Even more worrying is that there is very little research into the effect of these chemicals on women in the short or long term. The US House Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced legislation that would have required research into the potential health risks of ingredients used in period products. The legislation did not pass, and it does not appear that any such research has been carried out. In 2015, after pressure by consumer groups, some of the leading manufacturers agreed to list the main ingredients on their packaging.
On some period product websites the companies say that the products have been used for years, but that does not mean they have been tested or are safe. Some websites say that their products are ”thoroughly assessed” but the meaning of this is not clear. They state that their products may contain polyolefins, petroleum and zinc oxide, flex foam, absorbent wood cellulose, absorbent gel, rayon or polyester, a food additive similar to that found in craft glue sticks, and fragrance for scented pads. All of these chemicals will come into contact with the sensitive tissues in the vagina and vulva.
Andrea Donsky, founder of Naturally Savvy and co-author of Label Lessons: Your Guide to a Healthy Shopping Cart says that tampons contain pesticides, those with odour neutralizers and fragrances will contain a whole host of chemicals and those made in the US will contain genetically modified organisms. Online you can view Andrea setting fire to a Natracare pad, which is 100% organic cotton cellulose from wood pulp and corn starch, and the ingredients are written on the box versus the Always infinity pads for which we have no idea what it contains as there is no information on the box. The Always product produced a lot of black smoke, a terrible smell, and left a black residue in the bowl in which they were burnt.
Why would manufacturers put chemicals in period products? As part of the manufacturing process, chemicals are used to treat the tampon material to make it absorbent and soft for easy application, and able to neutralize smells. Chlorine is commonly used to whiten tampons, and this can create dioxin and other disinfection byproducts (DPBs). Dioxin collects in fatty tissues and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that “dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and can also cause cancer.”
There are also reports that 85% of tampons tested positively for glyphosate, which is a herbicide linked with cancer.
Using tampons can result in toxic shock syndrome, a rare but life-threatening infection of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that enters the bloodstream. TSS is rare, only affecting around 1 in 100,000 women in the USA. The symptoms include a sudden high fever, diarrhoea and vomiting.
A woman uses over 16,000 disposable period products in her lifetime. Tampons, pads and panty liners are not biodegradable and produce tonnes of waste per year. Is there an eco-friendly alternative?
Alternatives are washable pads, menstrual cups, and menstrual pants.
There are a number of companies supplying washable pads. They are available in a number of shapes, sizes and bright, funky colours. You need to buy quite a few pads, ideally enough to last your period so they can be washed together. And it might help to have a special bag to keep used pads in. You could even make your own pads.
A menstrual cup, such as the mooncup, is a small bell-shaped cup that is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood. It may be the safest and cheapest option to deal with periods but it takes getting used to. The menstrual cup is made of soft medical-grade silicone. It does not need to be emptied as often as changing tampons or pads– only every 8-12 hours. The cup can be rinsed and reinserted. This process is repeated until the end of the period, at which point the cup is boiled in water for 5 minutes to sterilize it, and kept in a clean dry place for use the following month. The key feature of menstrual cups is that they are reusable – each one lasts for up to 10 years, providing the user with long-term, reliable, effective, and dignified menstrual management. The Mooncup was developed in 2002 and comes in two sizes. It is suitable for sports, including swimming.
The Looncup offers women the chance to track both the volume and colour of their menstrual flow, and can send that information to an app on a smart phone. It can also inform when it should empty it and also alert to changes in flow that may suggest underlying gynaecological problems, that would otherwise frequently go unnoticed using common sanitary products.
Menstrual pants are made from highly absorbent material. They look like normal pants and are not bulky – so please do not think you will be wearing an adult nappy. They are designed to last for two years and cope with up to two tampons worth of blood. But this might not be enough if you are having a heavy day.
It has been calculated that period products cost a women around £18,000 over her lifetime. Governments tend to view them as luxury products and add tax. In the UK, the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) categorizes period products as “non-essential, luxury” items. UK MP Alison Thewliss said: “It is absurd that while men’s razors, children’s nappies and even products like Jaffa Cakes, exotic meats and edible cake decorations are free from VAT, women are still having to pay additional costs on what is already an expensive yet vital product.”
In 2000, the UK dropped the tax from 17.5% to 5% but in November 2015 British MPs voted against reducing the 5% tax to zero.
In October 2015, France rejected a bid to reduce the tax on period products from 20% to 5.5%. MPs tried to compare women’s need for period products to men needing shaving foam, as one reason why they would not go ahead with the change. As you can imagine, this did not go down well amongst French women. Some criticised that a lack of female MPs in Parliament did not help the cause.
There are many global campaigns to get free period products in schools. There are also a growing number of toilets that contain period products, such as gyms, bars and places of work. Does your workplace provide free period products?
What periods products do you use? What period products would you recommend or not recommend?
Read more:
Image credit – https://www.allure.com/story/reusable-menstrual-cups-pads-underwear-eco-friendly
How we learn about our periods – http://www.globalwomenconnected.com/2016/07/1-4-girls-start-periods-learning-school/
Period poverty – http://www.globalwomenconnected.com/2017/11/5-facts-period-poverty-uk/
Global women – dealing with your period
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