Why Am I Doing This?
How I came to be an Advocate of Alternative Feminine Hygiene Products
Women come to develop interesting relationships with their menstrual cycles. As a teenager, I used to say that if I could get rid of the bleeding, I would. I felt that it was an inconvenience, served no purpose, and should be done away with. I don’t think I could really trace the hatred to anything other than the general verdict that people don't like blood. Then I read one of those books that I couldn't put down. I ran around telling every woman I knew about it and even gave away a couple of copies. Inga Muscio's Cunt needed to be shared. The biggest issue that the book touched on for me explores the current system of feminine hygiene products and the alternatives out there. I didn’t want to give my money to Johnson & Johnson or Proctor & Gamble anymore. I didn’t want to be embarrassed about bleeding anymore. I didn’t want to stick pieces of bleached fiber into myself so that I could forget about being a female. I didn’t want to line my underwear with highly absorbent materials and squish in my chair while sitting on them. I didn’t want to have to hide a tampon or a pad in my hand while going to the bathroom, and feel embarrassed about opening it. I didn’t want to worry about traveling and having to pack enough tampons or pads, just in case. So I stopped all of it. I stopped spending money on a negative contributor of the environment and my health. I stopped being embarrassed about bleeding. I stopped having to worry about carrying around feminine (un)hygiene products in my purse. I’ve been using an alternative for the last 5 years and I couldn't be more excited. I ordered a "Cup" from a UK based company for around $35, though there are a bunch of US based companies that basically the same product. I've recently done a ton of research on the history of feminine hygiene products and am inspired to learn more and share the wealth. |
