For most of their lives, women must learn to live with their menstrual period. Approximately, the average woman presents her first menstruation between 10 and 12 years of age, from which time they undertake a journey comprised of different changes in their body that over the years they learn to recognize. Between highs and lows, all women learn to maintain a balance when carrying the period and adjust it to their lifestyle.
To offer greater comfort to women during these days, disposable sanitary napkins and tampons were created, products that promise to protect us from the staining caused by menstrual flow and make menstruation a calm and trouble-free stage. However, today we can find other types of alternatives that respond to a fact that many ignore: the contamination produced by feminine hygiene products.
It is estimated that one hundred menstruating women can produce 6,500 kg of garbage per year. Which, in forty years, would become 260 tons of highly polluting and non-degradable garbage, damaging the environment for a long time, since compresses take up to 500 years to degrade.
3 options to consider for a more conscious menstruation
1. The menstrual cup
Since menstruation begins, women are offered two methods of protection against the menstrual flow: sanitary napkins or tampons. But there are very few who get to know what a menstrual cup is.
This consists of a small container made of medical silicone that is not harmful to the intimate area and doesn’t alter its pH. Also, being made of durable material, it can be reused for up to 10 years, making it one of the most eco-friendly methods in the world.
Using it is very simple. It is enough to place ourselves in a comfortable position and fold the menstrual cup so that it can be compacted enough to be able to be inserted into the vaginal cavity. Once inside, we must make sure that it is well-positioned so that it can contain the menstrual flow without it overflowing.
The menstrual cup should be removed depending on the amount of the flow every 8 hours or when you feel it is full. After using it, we must sterilize it with hot water for about 5 minutes.
2. Sanitary napkins made of reusable fabric
This seems to be the easiest alternative to use available since they are compresses quite similar to the conventional sanitary napkins used by most women. The only difference is that these are made of ultra-absorbent fabric and that we can reuse them without any problem.
We can find them available in different ecological stores in our country or even manufacture ours with fabric that we have at home.
To wash them properly we must use warm water and do the washing by hand so that they are not mistreated or stretched. Its durability is approximately two to three years.
3. Absorbent underwear
This is a novel invention that proposes the only use of women’s underwear designed exclusively to retain menstrual flow and that nothing additional has to be used.
These garments are designed with highly absorbent and breathable fabric that promises to provide security and comfort to its wearer.
To guarantee the safety of absorption it can be combined with the menstrual cup, especially during the transition period in which unforeseen events can occur, caused by the inexperience of some users.
Like cloth compresses, they have a shelf life that ranges from two to three years depending on their use.
In Peru, many menstrual underwear distributors are not known, but we can find them on the official website of Vera Ciclos.