Menstrution. Periods. Shark Week. That time of the month. Aunt Flow. Red Disaster. Kill Bill of the Panties... You name it, those of us who endure menstration will all nod in understanding.
Some people with menstration get really easy periods, not bad cramping, not too much blood, no other side effects. But a lot, and I mean A LOT, of menstrating people get some nasty things to endure. I'm not going to dive into what it feels like to have an internal organ shed itself on you.
Instead I'm going to talk about some of the requirements to keep you from bleeding on everything you love. Tampons and pads are no longer entirely taboo subjects, they even have commercials for them now. And many of us know the little things about them that never get mentioned in commercials. Like the worry of toxic shock syndrome if you have a tampon in too long. See, the problem with tampons is that they are chemically treated, bleached cotton; which makes it a WONDERFUL breeding ground for bacteria. Pads are also plastic, diaper like wads and have their own 'fun' aspects.
But did you know there are other options as well?
There are reusable cotton pads. They can be washed off and reused and come with some patterns and whatnot for aethetic apparently.
And there are this silicone cups called moon cups. Unlike a tampon, this insertion cup is NOT a breeding ground for bacteria, so it is perfect for a day at the beach. It's a silicone cup that is put inside the vagina, and the rim forms a perfect seal so all the blood goes inside it. When you need to empty it out, you pinch the bottom (there's a handy tail, similar to the tampon string) and hte seal is broken and you pull it out, empty it, rinse in off (or wipe it out) and then reinsert. No packaging to russle, no need to remember to bring extras with you. It can be boilded in salt water for 15 min to sterilize it and then viola, good to go again.
I've never tried any of the reusable methods before, because honestly I have only JUST found out about them myself. But I am seriously tempted by the moon cup. I hate the feeling of pads, and live in fear of toxic shock syndrome. I may just have to try it and give a user's review on it.
