Pughville

*************warning: to those who are uneasy hearing about feminine hygiene products, the following article is not for you :)*******************************************************

Growing up, I remember reading "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret"-a pivotal book(at least it used to be) for adolescent girls. I remember her concerns over training bras and belted sanitary napkins. By the time I was 12 and reading this book, "belted pads" were not even sold. I had to ask my mother what they were. Imagine my horror when she explained. Well, this past week, I was privy to a series of emails regarding an ecologically, economically sensitve alternative to the nasty and archaic choices I naively thought were all that was available.

Being of an ecological mindset, I looked into alternatives briefly, maybe 10 years ago. Tampons and pads are, afterall, made from unbleached cotton and filled with nasty chemicals. Don't even get me started about the excess packaging. I would venture to say that they are almost equal to toys in the excess packaging department. The only alternative I was made aware of in my earlier search was of the 'wash and wear' fabric variety. And, for a child of the 80's, this seemed completely unacceptable. I mean, my kid's diapers are one thing, but this was entirely another thing altogether. I promptly chose the brand with the least packaging and became a loyal customer. That is--until this series of emails hit my desk.

This was about the 'Diva Cup'--a silicone cup that you insert and wear for up to 12 hours. Here is a quote from my friend (the doctor)Kim's email singing of the cup's praises:

I have used the menstrual cup for 8 years now. I love it, I think it is the best thing since sliced bread, and I would never, ever, ever go back. I haven't used pads or tampons since, and I actually think of them as sort of archaic to be quite honest. It is revolutionary, and I'm really quite shocked that I haven't told those of you I know about it long before this. I guess our conversations just never made it there. It is so comfortable, you do not even know it is there once you've learned to do it properly. It does not leak, again, if you are using it properly. You can go all day without changing it, just empty it in the morning and again in the evening and it goes through the night. It's great for long flights, car rides, meetings, etc. It does not chafe like tampons do, and it does not have any odor like pads. I've used it for all kinds of activities - swimming, hiking, etc. with no problem. From my humble medical perspective, it is also useful for women who have heavy periods, because they can actually quantify how much blood they lose each month to help their doctors understand if they really have true menorrhagia or not. Not to mention that it likely reduces the risk of toxic shock syndrome. There are still tampons on the market that are every bit as bad at harboring bacteria as the ones that were pulled off the market in the 80's. The more absorbent they are, and the longer you leave a tampon in, the higher the chance of this occurring. Of course the lack of impact on the environment is a huge bonus. If you ask someone who works in waste/water treatment if tampons should be flushed, the answer is a resounding NO, even though the brands advertise them as 'flushable'. Irresponsible marketing, imagine that. There is actually a guy in New York that has made huge art exhibits out of all the 'flushable' applicators that wash up on the beach after making it into the Hudson River. The tampons and the applicators are both equally bad for wildlife. Furthermore, the cotton used to make tampons is actually bleached with harsh chemicals. It is one of the most un-environmentally friendly crops there is, unless you buy organic. Not to mention if there is any residual chemical left over, it is not good at all for your vaginal mucosa. The original cup I used was called The Keeper and it was brown, made from rubber trees that were tapped, not cut down. The newer ones are clear silicone, but I cannot speak to that process environmentally.

So, I checked out there website www.divacup.com and ran to London Drugs to buy one. I went there on purpose to make sure that these things are easily available to people who don't always go to Community Foods or Planet Organic. Well, there they were with all the other products. I bought one for $40 and went home to try it...fate--this email arrived on the first day of my period. Well, I totally LOVE it...love it! I cannot say enough about how comfortable it is and how clean I think it is. The only thing I am kicking myself over is not having found this product sooner. It is fabulous. I urge all of you women out there to run out and get one. Now I'm all for banning the bulb and the tampon!!