Sanitary Pads & Other Menstrual Devises

    What is Sanitary Napkin?

Sanitary napkin is a hygiene absorbent product used by women during menstrual periods. It is a product of technical textile.  A sanitary pad/ menstrual pad is an absorbent item worn by a woman while she is menstruating, while she is recovering from vaginal surgery, for lochia (post birth bleeding), after an abortion, or in any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood from a women’s vagina.

History of Sanitary Pads

Through the ages women have used different forms of menstrual protection. Menstrual pads have been mentioned in history as early as the 10th century in Ancient Greece. Before the disposable pad was invented, most women used rags, cotton, or sheep’s wool in their underwear to stem the flow of menstrual blood. Knitted pads, rabbit fur, even grass were all used by women to handle their periods. 

The very first disposable pads were thought up by nurses, looking for new methods to stop excessive bleeding, particularly on the battlefield.  The first pads were made from wood pulp bandages by nurses in France. It was very absorbent, and cheap enough to throw away afterwards. Commercial manufacturers borrowed this idea and the first disposable pads were available for purchase came as early as 1888 – called the South ball pad.

In America, Johnson & Johnson developed their own version in 1896 called Lister’s Towel: Sanitary Towel’s for Ladies. Kotex's first products made with this wood pulp (Cellu- cotton) appeared in 1888. Until disposable sanitary pads were created, cloth or reusable pads were widely used to collect menstrual blood. Women often used a variety of home-made menstrual pads which they crafted from various fabrics, or other absorbent materials, to collect menstrual blood. 

Even after disposable pads were commercially available, for several years they were too expensive for many women to afford. When they could be afforded, women were allowed to place money in a box so that they would not have to speak to the clerk and take a box of pads from the counter them. It took several years for disposable menstrual pads to become commonplace. However, they are now used nearly exclusively in most of the industrialized world.

The first of the disposable pads were generally in the form of a cotton wool or similar fibrous rectangle covered with an absorbent liner. The liner ends were extended front and back so as to fit through loops in a special girdle or belt worn beneath undergarments. This design was notorious for slipping either forward or back of the intended position.

Later an adhesive strip was placed on the bottom of the pad for attachment to the saddle of the panties, and this became a favored method with women. The belted sanitary napkin quickly disappeared during the early 1980s.

Types of Sanitary Pads

Shopping for sanitary pads in a major department store can be like picking a needle out of a haystack. There are dozens of types of brightly colored packages boasting different materials, absorbencies, shapes and sizes. It can be intimidating, especially for a young woman buying them for the first time. If you know what you're looking for and the type of flow you generally have, the search for the perfect product becomes a little easier.

There are 2 types of sanitary pads:

Disposable Menstrual Pads

There are several different types of disposable menstrual pads:

—  Panty Liner – Designed to absorb daily vaginal discharge, light menstrual flow, "spotting", and slight urinary incontinence.

—  Ultra-thin – A very compact (thin) pad, which may be as absorbent as a Regular or Maxi/Super pad but with less bulk.

—  Regular – A middle range absorbency pad.

—  Maxi / Super – A larger absorbency pad, useful for the start of the menstrual cycle when menstruation is often heaviest.

—  Overnight – A longer pad to allow for more protection while the wearer is lying down, with absorbency suitable for overnight use.

—  Maternity – These are usually slightly longer than a maxi/Super pad and are designed to be worn to absorb lochia (bleeding that occurs after childbirth) and also can absorb urine.

Cloth Menstrual Pads

Alternatively, some women use a washable or reusable cloth menstrual pad. These are made from a number of types of fabric - most often cotton flannel, or hemp (which is highly absorbent and not as bulky as cotton). Most styles have wings that secure around the underpants, but some are just held in place (without wings) between the body and the underpants. Some (particularly the older styles) are available in belted styles.

Washable menstrual pads do not need to be disposed of after use and therefore offer a more economical alternative for women. Also called "mama cloth", reusable menstrual pads. They have become a popular alternative and are gaining in popularity among women, because they are allergen- and perfume-free, and can be more comfortable for women who suffer from irritations from using disposable pads.

What is Tampons?

Tampons (say: TAM-ponz) also absorb menstrual blood, but they work from inside the vagina. A tampon is also made of absorbent material, but it's pressed tight into a small cylinder shape.

The question all girls wonder is — how do you put them in? Some tampons have applicators, which are plastic or cardboard tubes that help put the tampon in place. Other tampons can be inserted using your fingers. Many girls start out using pads, but might want to use tampons when they do sports or go swimming.

How to use it?

 

What is Menstrual Cup/ Shecup?

A Menstrual cup/ Shecup is a type of feminine hygiene product which is usually made of medical grade silicone, shaped like a bell and is flexible. It is worn inside the vagina during menstruation to catch menstrual fluid (blood).

About every 4-12 hours (depending on the amount of flow), the menstruating woman removes the menstrual cup from her vagina, empties the collected menstrual blood into a toilet or sink, washes the cup under running water and inserts it again. At the end of the monthly period, the cup can be sterilized, usually by boiling in water. Unlike tampons and pads, the cup collects menstrual fluid rather than absorbing it.

Manufacturers have different recommendations for when to replace the cups, but in general they can be reused for five years or so. Disposable menstrual cups are also available – these work in a similar way to regular menstrual cups except they are disposed of after every use or (for some brands) after every cycle.

How to use it?

Health and Safety:

—  Shecup is made of health grade non-toxic non-allergic silicone, hence there is no risk of infections or vaginitis.

—  Silicone is inert and smooth thus there are no problems like rashes or irritation.

—  Shecup is a passive product, it only collects the menstrual discharge and does not interfere with the natural normal functioning and cleaning process of the vagina.

—  Shecup can be worn for long hours without any health hazards.

—  Shecup is the only menstrual sanitary product which can be sterilised.

Hygiene and Cleanliness:

      Since made of silicone, can be sterilised, making it completely hygienic;

—  Shecup wipes are provided to clean and disinfect Shecup before and after usage.

Convenience:

—  Shecup is reusable, hence there is no inconvenience of carrying or storing bulky products or disposing used ones;

—  Shecup can be worn for 12 hours or more without any problems, as it can hold up to a quarter of the average monthly menstrual discharge (5 to 6 hours in case of women with heavy flow);

—  Shecup Can be worn safely at night.

Comfort:

—  Leave no room for any leakage and hence no risk of stains.

—  Allows the user to wear the clothes as desired, since worn inside the body.

—  Allows the user to take up extreme physical activities and also swimming as it is non-absorbent.

Economy:

—  Shecup is reusable and can last lifetime if used properly as instructed, thereby avoiding any recurring cost;

—  Cost of Shecup can be recovered within the first year of usage.

Eco-Friendly:

Menstrual Cycles in a woman’s lifetime is for approximately 35 years. A Woman on an average may have 400 or more periods in her lifetime. Widely used menstrual sanitary protections-Pads & Tampons (Absorbents). They are prone to allergies, rashes. Higher absorbency pad/tampon purely allow longer between changes but poses risks and more problems with your body's natural moisture levels and self-cleaning mechanisms.

On an average a woman uses 10,000 – 12,000 pads/tampons in her lifetime. 12,000 pads means approximately 250 cubic feet of landfill, 1 pad takes hundreds of years to decompose since not easily bio degradable. The manufacturing process of pads/tampons adds to pollution and also results in the depletion of natural resources like wood.

Shecup is reusable and recyclable hence there is no waste adding to environmental hazards.