Take your Pick
By Jaishree Drepaul
Let’s face it, sometimes dealing with our periods can be a real pain. And we’re not just talking about cramps. Cruising the feminine hygiene aisle of your local drug store can be overwhelming with all the choices available. What you may have not noticed or perhaps even considered is that, in addition to the
traditional pads, tampons and liners, there are other choices in menstrual hygiene products that could help save the environment, your money and possibly even your health.
Natural menstrual products, often sold in health stores, are an alternative to regular items. Falling under this category are items like non-chlorine bleached all-cotton pads or tampons or reusable cloth sanitary napkins and other simple devices such as menstrual cups. Giving them a try has a number of benefits. According to some environmentalists, over 12 billion sanitary pads were land-filled or incinerated in Canada and the United States. Reusable menstrual products not only reduce the amount of waste we produce, but not having to buy use-it-once items can also mean saving money.
There are also a number of health experts who say that these products may even save you something more valuable than your dollars — your health. You may have already heard that some ingredients used in certain brands of
regular brand tampons can contribute to toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS is a rare, but sometimes fatal disease caused by a bacterial infection and has been linked to the use of super-absorbent tampons. Symptoms can include a sudden high fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, faintness, dizziness and muscle pain. There’s also worry about dioxins, a cancer-causing by-product of the chlorine-bleaching process for some pads and tampons. Scientists have found that dioxins can collect in our fatty tissues and there’s concern about links not only to cancer, but also to endometriosis and compromised immune systems. When it comes to cutting your health risks, doctors suggest changing your tampon frequently, using the lowest absorbency tampon that you can, alternating your use of tampons and sanitary napkins and, of course, considering menstrual products that are free of chemicals and unbleached. (Of course, be sure to contact your doctor or gynecologist who can help you determine which products are best suited to your own personal needs.)
Check these out…
What’s What: The Keeper (www.keeper.com)
Deets: The Keeper is a small, lightweight device that can best be described as a menstrual cup. It’s made out of natural gum rubber and is inserted into the vagina and has been on the market for about 18 years now.
Reasons to Try it: Depending on your flow, The Keeper can be worn for 6–12 hours. With proper care The Keeper can last up to 10 years!
Take Note: Don’t try The Keeper if you have a sensitivity or allergy to rubber and, at the risk of sounding like your mama, if you do try The Keeper be sure to wash your hands before insertions and removals. You can talk to your doctor or gynecologist about how to use it properly—you may want to try it out first on a weekend-only basis until you get the hang of it.
What’s What: Natracare Tampons (www.natracare.com)
Deets: These 100% cotton tampons are not chlorine-bleached, free of synthetics and any harsh chemicals. They’re available with or without applicators.
Reasons to Try it: They’re made from 100% certified organic cotton, meaning that there’s no direct risk of exposure to the residues of chemical pesticides and fertilizers used on traditional cotton.
Take Note: Natrocare products are biodegradable!
What’s What: Lunapads (www.lunapads.com)
Deets: Lunapads are just like the regular pads that you may already use. The only difference is that you wash these cloth pads and use them again instead of tossing them away. Expect Lunapads to come in two parts: a liner and a liner holder that snaps around the crotch of your underwear.
Reasons to Try it: You might be surprised to discover that cloth pads are slightly more expensive than non-reuseable pads, but because they last so much longer, you’ll be saving a lot of money in the long run.
Take Note: The Lunapads company also makes pretty goodlooking all-in-one underwear that have cloths pad built into them.
Did you know?
The average North American woman may use as many as 11,000 tampons in her lifetime! (The average North American woman throws away 250–300 pounds of tampons, pads and applicators in a lifetime!)