feminine protection

[bizarro]

this is the subject that we all want to know about but are too afraid to start a thread right? fine ill do it, LOL! lets try not to be to gross or graphic.

im wondering what environmentally friendly feminine products youve tried and what you thought of them.

[bizarro]

ill go first. i think most of the friendlier options are of lesser quality, grosser and more of a pain but im trying.

glad rags:

cons-too thick, caused schafing, uncomfortable and noticible under some clothing. they can easily leak and expensive too.

pros-they have organic options and are made locally to me, breathable and dont feel as moist as a regular pad. the colored ones do not stain easily if washed with nonchlorine bleach.

so far im comfortable using them on my weekend or at night only. i do not reccomend buying more than 1 of the overnites unless you are very large bodied, they are giganic and very diapery. theres a coupon code on another board to enter in the comments foeld to get a free one when you order. search google for gladrags.com coupon code.

OB (applicator free tampon):

cons-painful, hard to "apply" and messy.

pros-affordable especially with a coupon and about the most friendly option available.

[Blue Plastic Straw]

Do a search for "Keeper" on this site, and you'll find about a hundred threads on the topic.

[AuroraLily]

I absolutely love my Diva Cup (Canadian version of the Keeper.

Advantages: one time cost of $40, environmentally friendly, good for heavy days and light days, so comfortable don't know it's there (I mean it!!!), reduces cramps (seriously!), can swim, exercise etc without worry, never caught without a pad or tampon again as you just rinse and re-insert, no risk of toxic shock syndrome

Disadvantges: takes a little practice to insert and remove

[Lorraine]

I second the DivaCup or any menstrual cup product for that matter. They're mostly the same. The DivaCup and Moon Cup are made of silicone, and The Keeper is made of rubber.

Pros:
Feels much cleaner than pads, since you're not collecting blood outside of your body.

No smell. I so don't miss the smell of those blood-soaked pads every time I went to the bathroom.

No fear of toxic shock syndrome.

No more landfill fodder.

Really comfortable. You honestly don't know that it's there.

Cost - $40!?? Mine cost me $28.45 including shipping. That's under $30, and it's supposed to last at least 10 years. Plus it has a 1 year warranty. You can return it at any time during that year if you don't like it. That's a no lose proposition.

On my lighter days (usually after the first 2 days), I can just set it and forget it. I empty it in the morning, leave it in all day long and empty it again before going to bed.

Cons:
Somewhat of a learning curve. I'm still working on getting it to not leak on my heaviest days. I think I need to empty it more frequently than I currently do on my heaviest days. I've only had it for two cycles now, but I'm confident that I'll get everything tweaked the way I want it within the next cycle or so.

[bizarro]

i hate to burst your bubble but i thought i should post the info i am aware of regarding the keeper and other such devices. they can cause cervical cancer and possibly other health problems...although women with endometriosis may prefer them or an organic pad.

http://www.eco-logique.com/h-women.htm

http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowPDF&ProduktNr=223845&Ausgabe=229451&ArtikelNr=72329&filename=72329.pdf

[Ocean]

I use the diva cup and I love it. I only have to change it 2-3 times a day. I've saved plenty of money, and have reduced the amount of waste by not using tampons! I highly recommend this problem...I just didn't like how it took me a couple of cycles to get used to it...but worth a try :)

[dvmarie]

i hate to burst your bubble but i thought i should post the info i am aware of regarding the keeper and other such devices. they can cause cervical cancer and possibly other health problems...although women with endometriosis may prefer them or an organic pad.

http://www.eco-logique.com/h-women.htm

http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowPDF&ProduktNr=223845&Ausgabe=229451&ArtikelNr=72329&filename=72329.pdf

The eco-loguque.com site you cited doesn't say that The Keeper causes cervical cancer and other health problems. They say that use of disposible tampons and pads does
http://www.eco-logique.com/p-reuseable.htm

The other source Karger didn't show anything for me except where I could log in to for pay-per-view access to the article on how The Keeper is a potential cause of Endometriosis and Adenomyosis (which is a big POTENTIAL since lots of things contribute to Endometriosis including genetics.

Here is a page showing an FDA petition from 2003 on this:
http://www.endocenter.org/cupsfdapetition.htm

From what I've heard - the risks of The Keeper and DivaCup type devices is that, if not changed regularly, they block the flow of menstrual fluid . The same is true of risks with Tampons if you don't change them regularly (and then there is the whole Dioxin thing with Tampons)

I have a DivaCup, and I use it sometimes, and I like it well enough - but I prefer Goddess Moons Pads (http://www.goddessmoons.com/) :)

[dvmarie]

Cost - $40!?? Mine cost me $28.45 including shipping. That's under $30, and it's supposed to last at least 10 years. Plus it has a 1 year warranty. You can return it at any time during that year if you don't like it. That's a no lose proposition.

AuroraLily is from Canada - so she probably paid for it with that colorful Canadian Funny Money :p
(at the current exchange rate - $40 Canadian is about $28.85 American)

[kristadb]

Everything causes cancer.

I'm afraid of the Keepers b/c I often don't bleed enough for a tampon, let alone a cup! /shutter And it touches your cervix, right? Oh god...I couldn't handle that. I'd be puking non stop with that thing in me.

Try making your own reuseable pads.

[bizarro]

The eco-loguque.com site you cited doesn't say that The Keeper causes cervical cancer and other health problems. They say that use of disposible tampons and pads does
http://www.eco-logique.com/p-reuseable.htm

The other source Karger didn't show anything for me except where I could log in to for pay-per-view access to the article on how The Keeper is a potential cause of Endometriosis and Adenomyosis (which is a big POTENTIAL since lots of things contribute to Endometriosis including genetics.

Here is a page showing an FDA petition from 2003 on this:
http://www.endocenter.org/cupsfdapetition.htm

From what I've heard - the risks of The Keeper and DivaCup type devices is that, if not changed regularly, they block the flow of menstrual fluid . The same is true of risks with Tampons if you don't change them regularly (and then there is the whole Dioxin thing with Tampons)

I have a DivaCup, and I use it sometimes, and I like it well enough - but I prefer Goddess Moons Pads (http://www.goddessmoons.com/) :)

i posted the first site because i thought it was very informative and listed alternatives for women with endometriosis. i did not look around that 2nd site before i posted and im sorry. ill be more careful next time. thank you for posting the additional info you have about these. it concerns me because i use a cervical cap for BC. (although the jelly i liked has been discontinued. im not sure what else i can use that i wont react to. this is OT tho, sorry)

[bluegrrrl79]

I think I'm the only person ever to say something negative about the Diva Cup, but: Cons- it's a bitch to put in :down: When I try putting it in, it snaps open and hurts me! I wish it was smaller, it's so big and irritating to put in. Plus the grossness factor. Also...I don't know if this happens to anyone else but when I go to the bathroom(not pee), I have to make sure it doesn't pop out (then again I'm always constipated so maybe that's just me). I'm going to return mine, which sucks cause I really did want to like it :(

[Epinephrine]

i *heart* my divacup.. took me a few months to get totally comfortable with it. i don't understand why people say it's gross :confused: it doens't even ever spill. i think it's a million times better than tampons. imo it hurts way less than tampons to put in and remove.

ps. what's wrong with being graphic? it's not like there are women out there who are going to be shoked over it :rolleyes:

[bizarro]

just trying to be respectful...

[AuroraLily]

Bluegrrl: You may want to try some lubricant when inserting the cup

I think the cup makes the feel so much cleaner. It doesn't touch the cervix at all as it doesn't go up that high. I don't find it gross at all, in fact I can monitor my flow more easily.

[bluegrrrl79]

Bluegrrl: You may want to try some lubricant when inserting the cup

I think the cup makes the feel so much cleaner. It doesn't touch the cervix at all as it doesn't go up that high. I don't find it gross at all, in fact I can monitor my flow more easily.
I dunno I think lubricant would make it more slippery! So no one else thinks it's uncomfortable going in?

[agouti]

i love my keeper, although i do think it has some drawbacks. i certainly can't report that it never leaks - i wish that were true at night time :(. i don't have trouble putting it in though, i just keep it squeezed shut as firmly as i can until it's in. removing it, on the other hand, can be quite painful sometimes...owchie!!! :surprised .

[Quizeen]

Another vote for the Goddess Moon Pads. Not only are they environmentally friendly, comfortable, and snazzy looking, they are much cheaper than Glad Rags et al.

I'm not a fan of "insertable" feminine protection. My view is that the stuff is trying to get out, so let it :), which is why I stick with pads. I've never had a problem with the Goddess pads chafing or being noticeable through clothing (even tight fitting gym/bicycle style shorts).

[thebelovedtree]

I love my diva cup! It was a little uncomfortable the first month, but as long as I wet it before I put it in its fine. I find that it leaks way less than tampons and is much more convenient. Even with super absorbancy I'd have to change a tampon or pad several times during a school day, and my school frowns upon going to the bathroom...ever. We have 4 min between classes, and it takes 5 mins to get from one end of campus to another if that tells you anything. My diva cup I empty before I go to school and when I get home and thats all! I can't really think of a con...

[CharityAJO]

Ok, has anyone tried Natracare brand pads, tampons, etc? They look... not all that bad (that is, as if they might actually work.) But I'd like a second opinion before I shell out six dollars (yes I'm cheap, I'd prefer to get Target brand for two bucks).

[dvmarie]

Try making your own reuseable pads.

Once my current wardrobe of Goddess Moons wears out I'm going to try making my own. Once suitable fabric is found - the construction looks mighty simple (you don't have to worry about dealing with armholes and zippers.....)

[JulieShul]

I LOVE the idea of using a reusable cup but i still go to high school and have to deal with pesky public bathrooms....any suggestions? I don't want to remove it and have to go to the sink to rinse it out...

also...i'll be in ghana this summer...do you think i can rinse it out there because the water isn't supposed to be too safe...should i use tampons for the summer? any thoughts would be appreciated :bobo:

[AuroraLily]

You probably wouldn't have to bother changing the cup at school. It can be left in for 12 hours. It holds quite a bit of liquid. If you do need to change it at school you could bring a bottle of water into the washroom, remove the cup, clean it with the water and re-insert. Easy.
As for Ghana, I'm not sure about the water quality there. You may want to call an embassy to find out. I still think it would be better to use the cup than tampons.

[Epinephrine]

I LOVE the idea of using a reusable cup but i still go to high school and have to deal with pesky public bathrooms....any suggestions? I don't want to remove it and have to go to the sink to rinse it out...

also...i'll be in ghana this summer...do you think i can rinse it out there because the water isn't supposed to be too safe...should i use tampons for the summer? any thoughts would be appreciated :bobo:

you only ahve to change it twice a day - once when you wake up and once befor eyou go to bed.

also: always boil it before each period, especially if the water is unsafe.

[bizarro]

about the natra care-i have tried the tampons but they are expensive. also i dont know if its true but i have head your risk of toxic shock is greater because of the absorbency. personally when it comes to tampons i feel more comfortable using materials/products that have been tried and time but i hate that they are bleached. i dont think their pads have wings...

i find tampons to be extremely uncomfortable and painful. they seem like they make cramps worse too. i will on occasion use kotex later in the cycle as they have the most comfortable applicator. they are just so horrible for the environment and im trying to discontinue buying them.