"Changing the World, One Period at a Time"

This is an article I published in my school paper November 11, 2005:

Women bleed. Let’s reiterate that. Women naturally shed their lifeblood every 28 days or so. If this is such a natural, recurring thing, why do we as Americans find it so grotesque? Back in the day, American women were hidden away for one week each month. The general understanding was that menses was unclean. By the time people came to their senses, it was too late. Today, we know that menstruating women can take baths and enjoy sports. They can go out in public. They don’t have to be ashamed.

So why, then, do companies such as Tampax, Kotex, or Stayfree make such a huge profit off of women’s desire to be hide their menses? It’s a proven fact; commercial tampons and pads are not healthy. These products can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a potentially life-threatening illness. However, there is a reason these products cause TSS. Didn’t you ever wonder how they got the things so white, and so absorbent? It’s simple: companies use unhealthy synthetics, such as the commonly-used rayon, to soak up as much as possible. Then they bleach it, furthering the harm on the body.

If it were bad for me, they wouldn’t sell it, right? Wrong. The fibrous, bleached-out tampon sucks up more than just your menses. Its increased absorbency (due to that nasty rayon) takes everything that it comes in contact with. This is nice if you don’t want to bleed all over everything, but it also takes moisture out, and that moisture is the vagina’s natural defense. Also, those icky chemicals can even change the vagina’s Ph balance, drying you out further and pissing off your body. Pads, while worn outside the body, are just as bad, but not quite as dangerous.

Not to mention the effect on the environment. So-called biodegradable tampons and their cardboard applicators pile up in sewage plants. Pads and other tampon waste fill up landfills faster than I can say “wasteful”. This whole “disposable period” thing is quick and easy on us, because we don’t have to think about where our unnecessary waste goes, and its environmental impact. An average woman throws away 250 to 300 pounds of commercial menstrual products in her lifetime, and uses an estimate of 15,000 pads or tampons. Now on to the happy news: there are many alternatives to all this.

First come the reusable cloth pads. These are generally made out of super-soft flannel or fleece, but are also available in organic cotton. There are primarily two companies that manufacture these: Luna Pads or Glad Rags. These attach to your underwear or can also be purchased in-panty—that is, the pad is part of a pair of panties. There are many different absorbency options here, and it’s a great way for a woman to get to know her flow. Reusable menstrual pads are expensive at first (about $10-$15 a pad), but last literally for years. In the long run, that is far more cost effective than buying a package of wasteful pads every month or so. And, these pads come in many happy patterns.

Next comes my very favorite, the sea sponge tampon. This is basically just a sponge that acts as a tampon. These little guys are natural and straight from the sea; they are harvested for this purpose only. Since the sponge is essentially an animal byproduct, this is a concern for some vegetarians, but the sponges are renewable and very cost-effective. Best of all, they aren’t bleached and don’t dry you out. The sponge has no string, and is inserted while damp with those good ol’ fingers mother nature intended us to use. No easy institutional applicator here. No, you have to get to know your body. It takes some practice, but fishing it out really isn’t as hard as it may sound. This is then rinsed and re-inserted. Some people find it too embarrassing to do this in a public toilet, such as at school, but that is a personal decision. A water bottle can be used in-stall for privacy. To me, it’s not like all the other gals aren’t menstruating, so they shouldn’t be afraid of mine.

Finally we have cups, such as the Keeper Cup and Diva Cup. The cups are sanitary little things that attach right below the cervix (opening to the uterus). Shaped like a funnel, sporty chicks like these because you can go hours and hours without having to rinse, which is very convenient during a mountain hike or day-long tournament. Additionally, they’re made of natural rubber or silicone, so the cups don’t pose a threat to those sensitive to latex rubber.

Seriously think about the impact of fibrous products on your body, and on your pocketbook. Say you buy a box of Tampax Pearl for $5 every month or so. On average, that’s $60 a year on something that you don’t need. If you bleed from age 14-54, you’ll have spent $2400 on tampons (if prices were to remain the same). However, Sea Pearls sea sponge tampons, available through Luna Pads or Glad Rags, cost about $4 for a set of two. Each sponge can last months. So thats about $8 a year on Sea Pearls. What will you do with your extra $52?

All of the alternative menstrual products are wonderful choices. I was very hesitant to go down this route myself, even after reading about gross chemicals and the risk of TSS. I wasn’t happy with conventional tampons, but they were just so darn easy. I could just throw my unwanted mess away. After a reexamination of my world, I realized that this mess could nurture a child at some point in the future. This is life that I have no respect or concern for. And I think it’s gross? In a sanitary country we are taught to be discreet about things, even things this miraculous.

I’m sick and tired of shutting up about it. I can’t be told to shut up and clean it up, because this isn’t a spilled soy latté we’re talking about. It’s my body, your body, our bodies. The first time I saw my blood on a sponge, I was awestruck. It wasn’t gross or obscene. What I’d been so quick to be rid of suddenly took on a whole new meaning. I was no longer controlled by products that I essentially threw my money away over.

Many women don’t want to get involved with their “down theres.” They think it’s unseemly. Think about that. How did we teach our girls? What message did we send by sending the boys to play softball while the girls crammed in a dank overcrowded gym? In many cultures, girls are thrown menarche parties by older women to celebrate their first menses. It is revered and respected, not hushed and thrown away. If a whole generation of women had had menarche parties, we’d be in a different place.

Men are just as important in the battle to liberate the uterus. So many women date and eventually marry men. There is that one unspoken week every month where her pants stay fastened, and he is expected to walk around with his tail between his legs. Why? She doesn’t speak about her menses. It’s culturally taught that it is an inappropriate topic of discussion with your male significant other. These men go on completely in the dark about what women really experience once a month. In my experience, once they’re clued in, men are completely intrigued and awestruck at our bodies. It’s a good thing to talk about. They like to know. Our men like to be involved in our lives. And besides, educating the population cannot be gender-specific for the ultimate result.

Your body is yours. That is cosmic law, and no amount of corporate advertising can change that. If you choose to go on using commercial products, that’s fine with me. Old habits are hard to break. However, it is certainly worth dropping $4 to at least give it or other alternatives a go. If you choose to explore this world, go girl. The aforementioned web sites are great places to start. Both Luna Pads and Glad Rags are run by women, and were created by women. Their web pages are both fun and user-friendly. Talk to other women, and listen to what they have to say. The only way to end the menstrual stigma is if we start talking, and we make each other listen. The only way to end the shame is to start the celebration.