May 28, 2020
Which are more effective Menstrual Pads or Cups? #WorldMenstrualhygieneday
Lack of awareness around Menstruation, followed by the cycles, different disorders, and poor hygiene lead 28th May to be called as “Menstrual Hygiene Day”(MHM). The German-based NGO, Wash United, started in 2010 aimed at providing awareness around good hygiene habits and addressing issues around sanitation and washing of hands in a fun way. The Headquarters in Berlin, Germany spread their ideologies and awareness across the globe. Their ‘secret ingredients’ to achieve this is through games, sports stars as role models, and positive communication. As defined by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, MHM means that women and adolescent girls are using a clean material to collect blood, they have privacy to change their materials, they have soap and water for washing the body, and they have access to safe and convenient facilities for disposing of menstrual waste. Periods are a natural cycle that normally occurs every month for a duration that varies from 3-6 days. During this one discards blood and can go through painful cramps in different parts of the body due to the contraction. The theme of MH this year is ,“It’s time to take action” which is not just spreading awareness but fighting the myths and providing the right hygiene one needs.
It's very important to keep hygiene, especially during periods. From the traditional ways like keeping a cloth and not moving, the world developed with sanitary pads that can be worn and one can move around and do her work. Sanitary pads did not have any restriction, allowed movement, with every decade bringing in different types of pads in materials it just made women go through periods in any situation comfortable. Over the years, usage of pads has increased which soon became hazardous to the environment. Sanitary Pads not only affected the environment but women with rashes between the legs that caused irritation. The frequent changing and disposing of became another major issue. To reduce the frequent changing of pads paved the way to tampons. A little Plug made up of cotton that is tube thin shaped that fits in the vagina that absorbs the blood with a string at the end of it that allows one to pull it out. This not only sounded neat but more tempting for a lot of women to use and try out. These tampons were advised to be changed every 4-6 hours. If the tampon is kept on for more than 8 hours it can lead to serious issues ranging from vomiting, fever, or sore throat which are symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
Many tampons and menstrual pads have contained somewhere between a little to a lot of plastic in their basic design, sometimes for reasons that improve the design, but often for reasons less crucial. Getting a handle on how much plastic waste comes from menstrual products is tough, in part because it’s labeled as medical waste and does not need to be tracked, and in part because so little research has even looked at the scope of the problem. Tampons come wrapped in plastic, encased in plastic applicators, with plastic strings dangling from one end, Pads generally incorporate even more plastic, from the leak-proof base to the synthetics that soak up fluid to the packaging. Ann Borowski who researched the ecological impact of sanitary pads said “I don’t want to contribute 40 years of garbage to a landfill just to manage something that shouldn’t even be seen as a problem,” she says. “It seems like something we should have a little more control of by now. I don't want to have that kind of burden on the planet.” With sustainability as the main focus, usage of any of these two has become questionable for better waste disposal. This is where the usage and awareness of Menstrual Cups play an important role.
Menstrual Cups are reusable, funnel-shaped devices made of flexible silicone that can be inserted in the vagina to collect the fluid. They are small and can easily be an alternative and better option than sanitary pads or tampons. They are available from different brands like Keeper Cup, Moon Cup. The cup can be changed every 6-12 hours depending on the flow. These cups cost the same as sanitary pads, the variation these cups can be reused up to 10 years. These cups can also sometimes not suit one, so remember to try it before buying it in bulk. Good hygiene products are hard to recognize with the new designs and attractive changes and prices, be conscious of what you use. Let’s start encouraging more girls and women to use cups which are far better and good investments compared to those. This not only helps one but also suits the environment.
“I am someone who is into sports, with sanitary pad rashes while running or jogging became a major concern for me. So I gave menstrual cups a try and it actually worked out very well for me. In the beginning, it caused a little discomfort or had issues while inserting it but after the first cycle, it got comfortable. The only thing that reminded me of periods is cramps. After every cycle, it’s important to sterilize it so you can reuse it again, while in pads the disposing would only contribute to waste. If you are someone with heavy flow, you can easily wear the cup for a good 7-8 hours. In my case, I empty it twice a day, which pretty much works well. There are different sizes in these and one can go with the most comfortable one and give a head start to the new comfort zone.” Said Manali, Student.
