How Women Can Bleed Green

Reusable and easy to pack menstrual cups are as much an improvement as going from carbon copies to electronic files. I live and travel in developing countries where tampons and pad are not readily available. Not only do I save the space in my bag by only having one small menstrual cup, but when I see children combing through trash for what ever they can find, I'm happy they are not "finding" my monthly trash. The investment of 40 dollars for the Diva Cup, 6 years ago has paid for it's self several times over. I have had my cup for more than 7 years and it doesn't show any signs of ageing.

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It feels revolting!

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Thanks for this article. I puchased a set of "Gladrags" more than 15 years ago and they have been great. They are made of soft flannel in various colorful fabric designs. I recommend the colored ones to the plain white options, so there is no worry about slight staining. Many natural food stores carry these items in their personal products section. I wish girls just starting their periods were informed of these options, because habits form early!

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I went to the cup because of concerns about the environment AND my health. Since the vagina can absorb chemicals, I worried about the affect of chemically-processed products in such close contact for a week out of every month.

I encourage every woman to give it a try.

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reusable toilet paper. I feel really good about it, too, because it is gender-neutral.

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And I don't know how I lived without it. I still use washable pads on the heavy days for security. We use washable family cloth instead of TP, I washed all my babies' diapers or had a diaper service. Hmmmm, what else...we don't use paper towels, I still have the same roll from a year ago! I don't know what to do with it! As far as I'm concerned this is old news, but news we should spread to those in the mainstream.

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I use old washcloths--get them at thrift store. The idea that menstrual blood is somehow "icky" or gross is the main problem--women have been socialized to look at it as foreign and in need of commercial assistance to deal with--what a load of crap!! Just get over it ladies and enjoy the reality of your body NO MATTER WHAT.

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My teenage daughter was grossed out even looking at it but it was GREAT! I don't need it anymore, going through the change and hardly bleed these days, but I wish I had changed to one of these cups decades ago and had all the money back I wasted on tampons. It actually feels cleaner than using tampons or pads.

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my 45 year old sister who is an RN begged for a tubal (a 45 year old woman should not have to beg her doc to end the risk of childbirth!!!) after 4 kids, 20 years apart... the birth of her youngest daughter who is now 4, plus the older 3 are each from birth control failure...

for each woman who has closed up shop, why do docs insist on only a tubal when the uterus is only going to go along for the ride and bleed till menopause... sister wanted to have a partial instead of the tubal for these reasons and she was refused... why the uterus worship anyway??? it's the ovaries that count!!!

menstruation should only be for those that want to continue bearing children, not for those that are finished... think of the freedom and $$ saved from not having to support some form of 'devices'...

ps... love it when docs ask me the date of my last period and I look them in the eye and say '1979', age 27...

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As a dude, I hear about tampons and just think "eew! tmi! overshare!" I don't get how women can deal with all that-- probably deserve a medal or something.

I am all for these cups, though. As a lifeguard who's had to clean those boxes in the women's restrooms, a bit less waste is nice. Women go through LOTS of these things and it contributes to serious amounts of waste. :(

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They're not bulky, come in a variety of colors, cost about $2 each and last for years.

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She uses and likes Gladrags with are these soft flannel pad things [sorry for not being more clear but I know shinola about fabrics and stuff]. They are no harder to wash than any other bit of laundry. I know because I wash them.

Warm wash and cold rinse. Stick em in the dryer with the dryer balls and voila. Clean.

If you are squeamish you owe it to yourself to give them a try. Our co-op carries them and most stores can bring them in depending on their distributor. I just googled them and there are 1000's of hits.

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At 21 a co-worker discussed with me the bleaching of cotton, and why would any one in her right mind want that in her sensitive vaginal tissues. I got the message, and have been using sea and natural sponges ever since. So easy, so simple.

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In a word, HELL THE FRUCK FREAK FRACK NO!!
This is cat.shit.crazy!
Never in a Million years, you guys have gone way off the planet on this one.

Nasty, Unsanitary, which is why they are called sanitary napkins, come the hello on!!!!
Green it in other areas, but leave this alone. Not every thing needs to be cut loose for the price of being GREEN. THIS IS DAM DUMB STUPID!!!

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NOT EVEN ON A GOOD DAY
NOT EVEN IF YOU PAID ME

CAT.SHIT.CRAZY IDEA!! AND A CUP, COME ON!!!
SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY HAS DONE TOO MUCH METH, COKE, OR CRACK TO ME!!!

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Once you switch to the cup, no more midnight trips to the drug store. It's hard for women, though, to get used to their bodies. Too many women are still grossed out by their own normal functioning for this to be a mainstream choice for now. We've got to just keep pushing and educating. Good article.

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I am 22 years old and have been using the same keeper since I was 16. Not only is it a million times more practical when you're traveling, backpacking, or generally in some sort of inconvenient situation where you can't count on finding tampons readily available, but you never have to worry about running out, or having money to buy tampons, or where you're going to dispose of your used tampon if there's no trash, as well as the environmental and health concerns associated with tampons. In my 6 years using the keeper, I've converted many the friend to the keeper as well, and now almost all of my girlfriends use some sort of re-usable menstrual cup product. I can't even comprehend the amount of money and bother that I've saved myself using the keeper for so long now, and I definitely recommend it to everyone!

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While I find the title rather distasteful, I certainly agree that we shouldn't be too squeamish or selective in our environmentalism. To those who think the whole idea sounds disgusting, don't knock it till you try it.
Besides, we ALL get familiar with menstrual blood one way or another, so what's the big deal about a cup or a washable pad?
Personally, I'm glad that I have no responsibility in the choking deaths of marine life, since I'm not responsible for any plastic waste - which floats & which animals mistake for food.
Besides, using a cup is a LOT cheaper.
Good luck!

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I tried those things. Several times. It was a good thing I was at home because the mess was everywhere! I can't imagine dealing with these things when out shopping or at work. Imagine, getting the blood all over the commode and yourself, then leaving the stall to take the thing to the sink to rinse, then going back to the stall to reinsert. Gross!!!!! Maybe if you have a really light period, but never for the heavier kind. Regardless of what they claim, they can leak. And reusable pads when you're out of the house? Pleeeeeese!!! Imagine your purse getting turned over and the contents spilling out! Gross and extremely embarrassing. Leave the re-usable stuff at home!

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I'm someone who's worried about the health concerns of bleached and chemically treated tampons in my vagina every month, so I figure that if I had been using tampons all this time, I would have been buying organic ones. At $7.37 for a box of 20 organic tampons (at least that's what the Seventh Generation ones cost), and if you figure I would have needed at least 2 boxes a month (I bleed pretty heavily), that's $7.37 x 2= $14.74 a month, $14.74 x 12 months a year= $176.88 per year x the 6 years I've been using my $30 Keeper= $1,061.28 - $30 keeper= $1,031.28 in pure savings.

Not only is it safer for your personal health and the health of the environment, more convenient because you never need to worry about where and when you're going to buy tampons or pads, but you save a ton of money! It's only logical, so when will everyone get on board with the obvious?

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I have been using my keeper for close to a year and I love it! I only wish I had known about earlier.

Sadly, feminine hygiene is a money making business. Companies like tampax, maxi, always, and kotex will never encourage women to choose products that are healthy and cost effective. Their sales depend on controlling the way women think of their period. Convince millions of women that disposable menstrual products are the only socially acceptable way to manage your cycle and you’ll make millions. Convince millions of women that their natural cycle is shameful and oppressive and you’ll make billions.

That goes without mentioning the health risks associated with tampons. Everyone knows about TSS, but hardly anyone considers the pesticides and fertilizers used in the production of cotton. That very same chemically soaked cotton is bleached white so it appears clean, then we put that bleached chemically soaked cotton tampon in our vagina so our vagina can dry out. If we’re going to switch to organic food to be kind to our body we should also consider being kind to our vagina.

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this is something i've been thinking about in the last month or so...

to those discussing tubal ligation and hysterectomy - surgical sterilization is difficult to get because of old concerns about eugenics (in the state of california thousands of women - especially minority women - were sterilized with out their consent or knowledge); doctors are reluctant to sterilize anyone (male or female) under the age of 30 or who does not already have at least 2 children (this used to be spelled out in the sterilization consent form used in california)...in part for fear of being sued later by someone who has changed their mind and again in part because of eugenic concerns.

hysterectomy is not considered birth control and is usually only performed for other medical concerns such as excessive bleeding, fibroids, cancer, etc...and such surgery should never be taken lightly - there are, as with any surgery legitimate risks of infection and even death.

to the woman above who is looking into ways to not have a period - good luck finding a reputable surgeon who will perform a hysterectomy or oophorectomy without another medical condition requiring it...the only other thing that *might* work is taking continuous birth control pills...

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Before having a hysterectomy at the age of 28 due to numerous endometriomas and one massive fibroid I had a menstrual cycle that was heavy, erratic and painful.
Heavy, for me, was having to use an "overnight" pad and a "super" tampon and still feeling nervous about leaks. I admit I was fearful of natural products because I didn't think they could handle the task of keeping up with my flow.
If I still had a uterus and ovaries I would now be convinced to give them a shot, especially with the amount of products I had to use. (I have my own person opinions on whether or not the radical hysterectomy, which started as a myomectomy, was entirely necessary.)
I volunteer at a women's clinic and would love to be able to tell women who have unusually heavy periods about ecologically and medically sound options. Any opinions from users of these products or good websites to direct people to?

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If you don't want to use them, don't. I just don't get why a few people are determined to scream about reusable options being nasty, unsanitary, whatever. Give us one link, just one link, proving that they're not safe. Sheesh, shouldn't you already be washing your hands anytime you use the restroom, especially in public? What is the big deal? You don't handle the goods any more with a cup than with a tampon or a diaphragm, honestly. Maybe I just missed out on that particular phobia of touching my own body...

I've been using the washable pads since 1993, cups since 2003, and sea sponges from time to time for about a year, and I've yet to have anything wear out. Besides saving a fortune and not throwing so much away each month, I've had a lot LESS trouble with yeast infections and such since I made the switch. On the rare occasions I've been caught out without my own supplies, the typical disposable pads are so uncomfortable that I'm sure that irritation led to problems in the past, at least for me. For the record, I do have a pretty heavy flow, especially now that I'm moving into perimenopause. I just change things out once more per day than I did in my 20s, no big deal. The cup or sponges make things like running or cycling a thousand times more comfortable as well without the horrible over-drying that can come with a tampon, not to mention the very real risks from the materials they're made with.

Thanks for putting this information out there! I think taking responsibility for our own bodies and losing the phobia will do a whole lot more good than just cutting down on the burden to landfills.

Peace.

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On my lowfat vegan diet, my period is quite light,
and I've never had any major problems with it.

I can understand not everybody likes the idea, but
let's keep an open forum of discussion for those who
haven't already considered it.

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I have been using a diva cup for almost a year now. You could not pay me to switch back to tampons. I read a lot about menstrual cups before I bought mine. I had no problem using one, I don't feel it at all when it is in (unlike tampons, which I always felt). And my period is shorter now, used to be 7 days with tampons now it is 4 days with the cup. And now I have more money for other things.

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Please do not flush ANYTHING down your tolit. We have a rental and the tenants are always flushing tampons down and they have plastic that gets flushed or should I say stuck in the drain.It is very costly. We have a saying , if its yellow let it mellow and if it's brown flush it down and please ,not too much tolit paper!

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I use Glad Rags, too. I don't use them exclusively, yet. I'm transitioning slowly because they are expensive to purchase outright, so I'm building a small collection of them so I have enough for a cycle. But eventually, I hope to use them exclusively. Once I do, I will be saving tons of money each year. I find them to be not nearly as gross or uncomfortable as disposable pads. They do not chafe like disposable pads do. And they wash very easily. I like the design of them. But there a lot of various reusable pads on the market, and I encourage folks to check them out. I only wish I had known about them sooner. And when my daughter reaches puberty, I plan to teach her to use these reusable pads instead of disposables.

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To me they are ugly and too expensive.
I would recommend ordering from www.saucytots.com
Go to Mimi's Dreams and you will find AFFORDABLE and CUTE reusable cloth pads. I absolutely love them.
Vajpads.com isn't bad either and you can also find some good "reusable cloth pads" on etsy.com. Best of luck!
I am so glad I found out about cloth pads months ago.

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.. what idiot wrote that title?

hellooo? Is this thing on???

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DOn't forget that houseplants LOVE menstrual blood. i've been on the reusable kick for some time now. i love my diva cup and my sea sponges! i feed the plants and in the summeritme, i feed my veggie plants! all of those companies want women to feel that menstruation is a shameful dirty secret. rather, let us embrace!
i love saving money as well as not putting any of their dirty plastics (rayon) that can tear my vagina inside of my body! and for times when i must use a tampon, i only use 100% organic cotton! also, tampons are considered medical devices, but they are not as sanitary as sanitary products- think about that!

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I used green menstrual products from the 1970's until menopause. Natural sea sponges work great, and should be even more sanitary with the advent of antibacterial liquid soaps. They have but two drawbacks: the sneeze and the laughing fit.

You can squeeze them out with TP or clean a cup with it, if you have ghastly co-workers or don't want to find out if you do.

Never had an infection from them, but I never was much of a sugar binger so yeast was not a problem. I would advise against storing any spares in a mildew-prone location.

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Eunice:

I am so glad you wrote this piece. It’s terrific. As you correctly stated, the makers of these alternative (reusable) menstrual products don’t have the budgets to compete with the manufacturers of the disposables. So we rely on word of mouth -- and word of Internet -- to tell the story.

The numbers you give are accurate: the average woman disposes of between 10,000 and 15,000 tampons, pads and applicators in her lifetime, which is about 250 to 300 pounds of waste per woman. And yes, in the United States and Canada alone, more than 12 billion pads and tampons are tossed annually.

All true.

But, these numbers are just too HUGE. Most women cannot actually PICTURE this amount of waste!

So, The Keeper, Inc., manufacturer of The Keeper, has posted actual photos, SHOWING the amount of waste one woman creates by using and tossing tampons into the environment in 1 month, 1 year, 10 years -- and in her menstruating lifetime (approximately 40 years). (HINT: We had to use a DUMP TRUCK to show one woman’s lifetime use!)

Please take a look at these Comparison Photos, and I know you’ll agree that these 4 photos are worth at least TEN THOUSAND WORDS!

http://www.keeper.com/photographs.html

One you see these comparison photos, you won’t ever think about disposable menstrual products the same way again!

Julia Schopick
www.Keeper.com

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Switching was the best decision I could have made. My cramps were horrible and I was going through a super tampon every 2-3 hours. I did some research and found that the chemicals (bleach and what not) that they use to produce the cotton in tampons and pads can actually make some womens cramping worse and flows heavier!
It does take a little bit to get used to, but so does a tampon at first!

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STOP THE STUPIDITY GIRLS
REALLY, THIS TALK ABOUT RAGS, CUPS, AND SPONGES, IS AS STUPID AS A URINE STAINED BOX OF ROCKS!

NASTY AND UNSANITARY, AND STUPID AS HELL!!!

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NO WAY,UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS IDEA IS JUST PLAIN STUPID AS HELL!

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By some of the comments to this article.

For those who are repulsed by this idea and believe that this is a return to the dark ages... I would suggest to you that your beliefs about how "disgusting" and "unclean" this is is a carry over from the dark ages when menstruating women were separated and thought of as "dirty" and needing to be secluded. Whether you realize it or not... you are still being influenced by outdated and unhealthy views about the most natural functions of a woman's body that should be marveled and celebrated! If it weren't for menstrual blood NONE of us would be here!

For those who are insistent on using tampons and pads... I would invite you to do some research into the correlations between dioxin (a highly carcinogenic chemical used to bleach paper products... including feminine hygiene products) and illnesses such as endometriosis, uterine fibroid tumors, infertility, miscarriage and the estrogen dominance which is associated with these conditions.

For those who claim that products such as the menstrual cup would be unrealistic due to heavy flows and clotting... and have been told by their physicians that either of these are normal... THEY MOST DEFINITELY ARE NOT! Heavy menstrual flow, clotting and pain associated with the menstrual cycle are all signs of imbalance &/or toxicity in the body... and very often indications of an undiagnosed dis-ease process... either hormonal imbalance or conditions such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. (I know this personally as I nearly bled to death... literally... because I spent years going from doctor to doctor who told me that this was "normal" only to finally discover that I had ALL of the conditions I've mentioned when I wound up hemorrhaging and in the ER! Once successfully addressed... my cycles were normalized and ONLY last 3-4 days... rather than up to two weeks... with a LIGHT flow, NO clotting and NO discomfort! I suffered with this NEEDLESSLY for over 30 years of my life!)

For those that suggest that the answer is to have an elective hysterectomy... ARE YOU NUTS?! The uterus is MUCH more than a baby making factory! Anatomically it also keeps other internal organs in their right place and removal of the uterus is correlated with bladder leakage and incontinence later in life. Additionally... the removal of the uterus is also associated with less sexual satisfaction due to reduced intensity of the orgasmic response. Nature knew what she was doing and a woman's body is an amazing thing!

I would invite all of you to carefully review your beliefs about what it means to be a woman... about your body... and also to question EVERYTHING that your physicians are telling you! Doctors and researchers have been making a bloody FORTUNE off of the natural functions of women's bodies... turning menopause and pre-menstrual sensitivity into illnesses that require pharmaceutical intervention so they can profit off of their brainwashing tactics! Their drugs are poisons... their surgical procedures are barbaric... and women's bodies have become a battlefield for Big Pharma and Medical Mafia doctors!

Reclaim your power as a woman... learn about the marvels of your body and how to take care of it yourself! Take responsibility for your OWN health and well-being AND the environment! There is VERY MUCH a connection between the manner in which women and the Earth are viewed and treated in a patriarchal society! Women need to STOP buying into the religious and cultural conditioning that hurts them and the planet!

All the best to you ~ Dr. O

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menstrual blood is sacred
if you feel it disgusting or dirty then you have been successfully brainwashed by the patriarchal media
We women must reclaim this monthly ritual, honor it, love it, nuture it
feed your blood to your garden, your plants will thrive and mother earth will rejoice. This is our connection to the goddess, to each other and all creation. let us NOT waste it down the drain or into our over crowded landfills. Thank you for this article, now lets create a movement.

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