“The Talk” for the Middle Aged
by Leanne Kubicz
At the start of the pandemic, grocery visits lessened despite my need to buy menstrual supplies, sometimes several times a month. Buying in bulk was no longer an option due to pandemic hoarding in stores as well as online. It’s bad enough when there is limited toilet paper; it’s a catastrophe when there are no tampons left in the city. The pressure was on to locate an affordable and reliable source for menstrual products because the flow waits for no pandemic.
Menstrual product subscription companies were not an option because they required means beyond my budget and were complicated by the newfound postal delays. Through a mix of YouTube videos and Instagram advertisements, I learned about alternative options to manage my cycle, including period panties, menstrual cups, and discs. I had only vague knowledge of these products before the pandemic because they were generally stocked in bohemian-type shops with minimal visibility in mainstream culture.
I found it rather amusing and dismaying that I learned about period panties, menstrual cups, and discs through advertisements and not public health initiatives or medical authorities. I had to watch and read many advertisements to discover the right menstrual cup for me, and boy howdy, there are many models on the market! It took weeks of reading customer reviews to even choose a cup, and then there was the battle of learning how to even use it. Unlike period panties, cups and discs have a much higher learning curve. Additionally, while I am personally fine with touching my body, I recognize that some menstruators will have to overcome the societal shame attached to their bodies to use a menstrual cup. Luckily the directions that came with these period products were very thorough and one of few mediums that were able to educate me on using the product.
From informal surveying, it appears that my peers, Generation X, (approximately those age 40 and older) do not have up-to-date information about advances in period products. Kids in the 70s and 80s got “The Talk,” the official word on puberty and pregnancy, and were sent off into the world to possibly never be educated about those issues again. A lack of educational instruction between doctor and patient and a lack of public messaging on these medical devices has left many middle-aged menstruators out of the loop.
To assume that every adult knows about changes in menstrual innovation is simply not accurate. Everyone wishes they could be up-to-date on every new health benefit, but who has the time? Visits to doctors rarely involve discussions of advances in medical device options, and the enrollment of middle-aged people in updated health classes is simply unrealistic. So it’s understandable why many are lacking knowledge on menstrual product advances.
Ideally, middle-aged menstruators should be introduced to advances in menstrual technologies and how to use them via doctors and public health initiatives, rather than for-profit companies. Doctors allotting time to discuss menstrual products with patients should be a normal practice. They will ensure expert information is being received. An uptick in public messaging about the economic and environmental benefits of menstrual cups and other products is imperative for those without healthcare access and to ensure repeated exposure to the message. The public should be educated on which menstrual products are available, affordable, and sustainable to make informed decisions. Menstruators need to be proactive about their health to fill in knowledge gaps left by medical and public health authorities. Regularly reading trusted sources of science and health information will empower people of all ages to make the best decisions about their menstrual health.
Though I am slightly abashed to admit to my menstrual health knowledge gaps at my seasoned age, I am grateful that I am up to speed now. The tidy amount of money I saved this year from switching to menstrual cups is a small win during this pandemic. I am also grateful for the smaller ecological footprint I have left now that I have transitioned from disposable menstrual products. My own health education engagement has made me more confident in communicating my needs, especially to my doctors. All and all, open dialogue by health professionals and proactive health education practices by menstruators is vital to ensuring current health knowledge is in all hands.
