It wasn't until a while ago when I did some research that I developed an extreme loathing for the so-called "feminine hygiene industry". Before then I just went along with what had been subconciously drilled into my brain: There is no alternative to tampons/pads. That's what my mother taught me, thats what school taught me, and above all, thats what the Tampax adverts told me. And although they never actually said "there is no alternative", they never presented us with one, mainly because they weren't aware that an alternative existed, but on the part of the manufacturers of feminine hygiene products, because they don't want us to believe that there is. Because they make money out of us. At least $1.21 per box of 32. Think about this:
-The price of tampons has risen steadily as the number in a box has fallen. And it's no accident either; in 1991, Tambrands, the company which makes Tampax products, bragged to shareholders that they had "made product and packaging improvements, reduced the size and price of our packages and increased the price per tampon". What consumers saw was a slightly altered applicator and a tamper-proof seal while the number in a box dropped from 40 to 32 tampons.
-The average US woman spends at least $2137 on feminine hygiene products in her menstruating lifetime - why should we spend so much money on them? And why should the corporate giants who make these products profit from our bodies?
-The feminine hygiene industry - the most female of industries - is largely run by men. There are three women to each nine men in Tambrands corporate, two female VPs to the 6 male VPs in Tambrands North America, and no female Vps or directors in Tambrands International. The factory floor is dominated by wonem earning hourly wages while the executive suite is dominated by men. So there is a glass ceiling for women in this industry as well as every other one.
-Tampons not only soak up our blood, but also all the other fluids that we need to keep our bodies healthy and in full working order.
-Advertisements for sanitary products take care to remind us that menstruation is naughty and shameful. They prey on our consciences and promote a culture of concealment and taboo. Why? Because it gets them rich. If we women think that menstruation is something to be embarrased about, we are more likely to buy products that help us keep it under wraps. Which makes marketing even easier for the feminine hygiene industry. Not only can they advertise the convenience of their products, but how discreet it is. Women are hit with a double-whammy: Wow look at this! not only is it comfortable/convenient/easy to use, it's completely invisible! Now you have two reasons to buy our products: convenience and invisibility! You have no excuse now! Our tampons/towels are the best on the market! Now go out and spend lots of money on them!
-Tampons with synthetic ingredients in them amplify the production of the deadly TSS toxin. By 1980, every single tampon on the market contained at least one synthetic ingredient. Between 1979 and 1980 there were 55 TSS-related deaths and 1066 non-fatal cases. Previously, this disease had been very rare, but was resurfacing in young women, and it was clear that synthetic tampons were to blame (all-cotton tampons showed no signs of facilitating the toxin to grow). These products remain on the market today.
-If you use, say, 5 tampons/sanitary towels a day for approximately 5 days per month, thats 25 tampons per month, and approximately 300 a year. Most women menstruate for about 38 years, so thats 11400 tampons per woman in her life time! Multiply that by the number of women who buy these products IN THE WORLD (and thats most women) and...well, think of all those used tampons sitting in a landfill site somewhere and polluting the environment.
There are alternatives. Go to Bloodsisters - it campaigns to break the silence surrounding our beautiful female bodies. Their sister site Urban Armor sells re-usable pads in really funky designs so you can feel empowered and even sexy at that-time-of-the-month
Click here for loadsa different ways of making yr own cloth pads
Hag Rag also markets funky cloth pads with coolio designs.
The Red Spot - more kickass period power, with articles on the taboos of menstruation and more.