PERIODS- NOT AS SCARY AS YOU THINK

 

Do the world and yourself a favor – find an environmentally friendly period product that works for you. For me, the divacup is everything i ever wanted. it saves me stress, anxiety, and most of all, money.

I love talking about periods – it is a part of daily life, but it’s become so taboo that it is a source of embarrassment for many. 50% of our world experiences a period monthly; among that percentage, many have limited access to clean water and sanitation, and hygienic and safe menstruation products. Why? Many reasons: extreme poverty, severe lack of resources, limited sex education, taxation on menstruation products, etc. At some basic level the embarrassment around talking about periods is a major source of the problem, arguably rooted in sexism. Periods are often treated as a “women’s” issue rather than a basic human need, resulting in people’s basic standard of living not being met and that is embarrassing for us as a civilization.

This is not “the” answer, but I have found some solace in the development of environmentally friendlier period options. My go-to all time fav product is the DivaCup (i.e., a menstrual cup), solving so many of period woes from my early days. I have now been using the same DivaCup for 3 years. Within that time frame, I’ve used less than a box of tampons. I honestly have no recollection of the last time I bought anything for my period.

The advantages of menstrual cups really speak for themselves, but I would like to point out my experiences are only from the DivaCup. Here we go:

  1. No waste: from the most basic definition of sustainability, the DivaCup wins. No tampons. No pads. No waste. One product, 3 years.

  2. Economically viable:  I bought my DivaCup through thrivemarket.com at a discounted rate but even at full price (~$30), it is well worth the money.

  3. Leak proof: I literally (almost) never leak with the DivaCup. There have been a couple exceptions, but I cannot say I ever experienced this same success with tampons and pads in all my years of having a period. This alone saves me so much stress and anxiety during my time of the month.

  4. 12-hour coverage: I only change it out once in the morning and once in the evening. And in weird circumstances (e.g., gross bathrooms, camping, etc.), wearing it for 24 h has never been a big deal. Because it’s literally suctioned into your vagina, oxygen and bacteria cannot easily get in, making it almost impossible to get toxic shock syndrome. For the same reasons, your period is now essentially ODORLESS.

  5. Comfort: I cannot feel it at all. Taking it in and out is very easy. When you first buy one it takes a little getting used to, but I used o.b. tampons previously so the transition was very simple. If you’re worried about dropping it, just start in the shower – but I promise, you’ll get the hang of it in 2 days.

Like anything else, all vaginas are different. They are shaped differently, experience different periods, have different flows, etc. The DivaCup is not a one size fits all nor is it the solution for everyone. I would encourage you to do your own research to find a menstrual cup or another environmentally friendly menstruation product. The world is your oyster and you are in control of your life, not your period.

Peace and love,

Farihah

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Sustainability- it’s not just about straws