Alright, before I get directly onto the contents of today’s article, I just want to make it clear that this one really is a ‘ladies’ article and WILL relate to female experiences. So if you’re uncomfortable about the idea of discussing and reading about the menstrual cycle and sanitary pads then I suggest to you take a skip on this one.
The menstrual cycle is a natural occurrence and symbolic of a young girl’s blossoming into womanhood. So regardless of when you first had your first period, the fact remains that once it did come, so did your faithful use of the sanitary pads each month.
I was always a rather curious child growing up and I asked my fair share of questions, which just so happens to have included “What did women use to use in the old days before we had disposable sanitary napkins?”
Well my mother was kind enough to patiently attend to my question and it was from her that I learnt the answer and more -the meaning of the expression ‘on the rag’. She explained how back then, women often used strips of folded old cloth (rags) to catch their menstrual flow, which they would either throw away or wash and reuse after. Many often did the latter because being a monthly affair it would have proved quite costly to keep changing them.
Now if you were anything like me, you would have figured disposable sanitary pads were a pretty modern invention. But fact of the matter is, they’ve been available (though probably not as fancy, comfortable, durable or reliable as those we have today) since 1888 (Kotex has been around since the 1920s!). Yet it wouldn’t be until many years later that the use of them caught on and became popular. Why? Because back then, it simply wasn’t an affordable choice, disposables were expensive.
I’ll be honest with you, when I first found out about women in the olden days of before using rags and washing them, I wasn’t thrilled by the idea/thought of it. Judging from my own experiences I determined how that couldn’t be an easy task and it made me grateful for the blessings of having disposables (with wings!).
So imagine my bewilderment when I found there was a group of modern day women (growing in numbers too since the 1970s) who shun the use of disposable pads to return to the use of cloth menstrual pads.
The fact is, these women aren’t out of their minds, nor are they protesting against any conglomerate’s operations. They are simply a group of women who have taken a stand for their health, comfort and environment because unknown to many, the modern day disposable sanitary pads are laced with health threats such as
- Dioxins which is a known carcinogen
- Pesticides in cotton cultivation
- Plastic and glue backing (reduces air circulation and creates a stagnant environment in which some bacteria thrive)
and they pose a serious threat to the environment that is similar to that of disposable diapers.
Now brushing aside health issues for a second and focusing on green sustainable living, I know how many pieces of tampons, liners and sanitary pads I run through for each month’s cycle and when I project that impact on the environment, I end up with a rather disastrous outlook.
So I’ve made a decision to take my stand among those other brave women who have so courageously given up on the modern convenience and gone back to cloths. However…I’m not about to go all the way back and start using rags (in fact I’ll have to be honest to say I’ll still keep a pack of disposables handy for those just in case moments)…instead I’ve found that I can preserve my comfort and my conscience by using Organic Cotton Cloth Reusable Menstrual Pads such as those by Sckoon. It’s really rather similar to using the conventional disposables but you just have to wash the liners and pads. Sounds horrendous? Well it’s not actually. You just need to pre-soak it in cold water with some sanitizer (could be just detergent) and leave it to the washing machine to do the rest.
Yes, that a lot more steps then just throw away but for that extra effort, you’ve helped protect yourself from health risks and helped green the environment…so why not?
I’m sorry I will put up wit a lot in order to be sustainable, but this is a step to far. It is primitive. I am sticking with my trusted tampons.
Well I’ll be honest to say it takes LOTS of adjusting and that’s why I say I keep a pack of disposables around handy for those just in case moments.