I just turned 18 and after the years of public school and the just wonderful education policies that they take on making sure that women are completely confused about their bodies I have finally started on my journey to undue the damage that they have done to me. (My mom assumed the stance that if I had any questions my health teacher or school nurse would know how to better answer my questions than she did.)
But one of the books that I had heard mentioned again and again was Our Bodies, Ourselves. So I checked out the book from my local library and started reading it. Now I have read other books about what is really going on with my body but nothing quite as complete as Our Bodies Ourselves, not one of these books really talked about menstruation in quite as much detail. I am still reading the chapter but there are a few things that really surprise me about the whole thing.
First, why are women not given a full range of options about their menstrual cycle, period coverage, and contraception. I didn't know about the risks associated with the chemicals in tampons and pads, I didn't even think about natural sponges as an option, or know that there was such a thing as a menstrual cup. I also didn't know that there were so many different options for contraception. What I want to know is why is this information so taboo. I don't want any woman to grow up thinking her body is dirty or shameful and I don't understand what is so wrong with talking about something so natural. I think that because it is necessary for us to have babies it should be something that our society embraces. But for some reason that is just unheard of. I'd like to here from other feminists who are wiser and older than I am why our society feels the need to do these things to women.
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Its a matter of information push or information pull.
Its your body, the information is out there for the taking and I am sure it was presented in an understanding way.
It does not need to be spoon fed.
Along the same lines, sometimes I get in to conversations with people that say:
'Why hasn't the media covered X, Y, and Z!?!?!?! *fire flashing in eyes*
and I say "It was in New York Times" (or wherever else)
and they go
'oh.'
Its almost like people saw how dare people hide information in books and newspapers.
No one's asking to be spoon-fed, but the fact that menstrual alternatives are not mainstream does make it difficult to realize that they even exist. If I had known about cups before, I would have never used pads. As tampons were always uncomfortable for me, no matter which ones I tried, I went through my teen years with chafing and discomfort for a full week of every month. Sex ed/health classes discuss tampons and pads, as do many articles targeted at teens on the topic, but not the alternatives. If a girl isn't made aware that there could even exist alternatives out there in the learning material that is presented to her as the end-all be-all authority on the topic, how is she supposed to be expected to consider that there is another way? What would prompt her to research alternatives if they aren't even a potential thing-that-exists in her mental landscape?
as a young girl who is not given any kind of information at all about anything to do with reproduction other than what the schools teach (which is basically blood comes out of your uterus because there is no baby in there and you can take care of that with a pad or a tampon) the information is NOT there, its not like I'm asking to be spoon fed, just given the resources to discover all of my options. I didn't know our bodies ourselves even existed until a few months ago.
as a young girl who is not given any kind of information at all about anything to do with reproduction other than what the schools teach (which is basically blood comes out of your uterus because there is no baby in there and you can take care of that with a pad or a tampon) the information is NOT there, its not like I'm asking to be spoon fed, just given the resources to discover all of my options. I didn't know our bodies ourselves even existed until a few months ago.
In reference to the menstrual cycle: I get the sense that there are actually really few adult women-- nevermind men-- that have heard of reusable menstrual cups (Keeper, Diva Cup, Moon Cup, etc.) or cotton reusable pads (Glad Rags, Party-in-my-Pants, etc.) And among those who've heard of them, how many would actually accept them as good products to teach girls about?
Here's what I mean: When I was college age and switched from the nasty throw-out pads and tampons, my mom thought my new products were disgusting. I saw it differently. I think reusable products are more hygienic than the stinky, chemically throw-aways.
However, it takes more than reading an ad or a quick article about a new product to raise awareness and change both the market and the education of kids. I'm guessing that many adults would have to confront a lot of their own discomfort relating to women's bodies and bodily fluids before they could accept "alternative products" for menstruation. They'd have to confront and change their ideas of feminine uncleanliness due to menstruation. Only then could they begin to embrace these kick-ass products for what they really are: great options for girls and women.
Oh, and one more thing about language...
"Because it is necessary for us to have babies..."
Us. First person plural. Little word, big potential argument. You're speaking for a lot women there, and I'd be willing to bet that there are many others here besides me who don't agree that having babies is necessary.
I parsed that with "body" as an antecedent to "it," not "it" as part of an impersonal construction. "Because [the body] is necessary for us to have babies..."
Ah, clarity. Thanks!
that's not what I was trying to say at all. I was saying that a woman's monthly period is a necessary thing if that particular woman wants to have a baby. I personally cannot have children so I don't like using singular pronouns when talking about it as it requires me to constantly remember that I cannot have my own children, and there isn't a really good way to express that without coming right out and saying it. I apoligize if it sounded like I was saying that all women have to have babies.
I apologize. I misunderstood. Best wishes to you!
"And among those who've heard of them, how many would actually accept them as good products to teach girls about?"
I couldn't imagine using a cup as a teenager. But I had trouble with tampons too so that's just me. I do think/hope word is spreading about menstrual cups. I'm still surprised when I meet other women who have heard of them or use them but it's happened.
"I'd like to here from other feminists who are wiser and older than I am why our society feels the need to do these things to women."
Well, it does depend on society and family somewhat. My mom never made me feel like things my body did were dirty. Some people are squeamish about all blood. And people don't always equate natural with good.
Since you're learning about options, have you heard about the NuvaRing/vaginal ring? It works like the pill but it goes in your vagina. You put it in for three weeks, take it out and then put another one in a week later. I like it because I don't have to take a pill every day.
yes I have heard about it but I don't actually need birth control as I can't have children, but thank you for talking about it, one of my friends uses the ring and she says that it is so much easier than having to take a pill every day
On menstrual products ... well, who produces and who profits off of them?
Most disposable products are made by large paper product and personal care companies (such as Kimberly Clark) who have the money and the access to advertise their products widely and create brand loyalty among consumers. And it's a huge market - you can get women to drop, what, $10 a month, every month, for 20-30 years of her life?
Whereas the reusable products are produced by smaller companies who don't have the market reach or the profit margins.
I'm not saying this to justify the lack of information and understanding about menstrual product choices ... I think it sucks ... but who can afford to produce those *awful* videos schools force us to watch in sixth grade and distribute them nationwide? Tampax and Always, not (sadly) Gladrags and the Diva Cup. :(
That being said, perhaps we should de-commercialize health education in our schools, so that there's time and space to get a better understanding of the choices out there instead of making girls sit through what is essentially hours of marketing.
"...That being said, perhaps we should de-commercialize health education in our schools, so that there's time and space to get a better understanding of the choices out there instead of making girls sit through what is essentially hours of marketing."
That would help for reusable pads. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if some parents would not want their daughters to learn about using a cup or sponge in one's vagina the same way they already discourage their daughters from using tampons. That's in the name of preserving hymens for son-in-laws' penises to tear up and leave bloody, not in the name of profits.
Weird, I remember reading something (probably on a tampon package) saying tampons wouldn't "damage the hymen" or something like that. And I can't imagine how a flexible bendable cup would tear anything. Still it's super creepy that parents might object to menstrual products for that reason-- sounds like a lot of people could stand to do some Purity Myth reading.
Just because tampons (almost) never damage the hymen doesn't mean the myth isn't out there. In a lot of countries, tampons aren't even available in most areas because the conception of "virginity" is so rigid.
"Weird, I remember reading something (probably on a tampon package) saying tampons wouldn't 'damage the hymen' or something like that. And I can't imagine how a flexible bendable cup would tear anything..."
My guesses:
I wouldn't be surprised if someone thinks a dry tampon packed in an applicator that fit through her porous hymen on the way in would rip her hymen on the way out after it swells up absorbing menstrual fluid for a few hours.
I also wouldn't be surprised if someone thinks her hand would stretch and/or tear her hymen on the way in to put a flexible bendable cup.
"...Still it's super creepy that parents might object to menstrual products for that reason-- sounds like a lot of people could stand to do some Purity Myth reading."
Indeed!
You might also check out the planned parenthood website for lost of information about birth control options and general health. It's also a good place to refer your friends to when these topics come up. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/index.htm
These days you can at least search on the internet. I would never have known about menstrual cups or nondisposable pads as a teen if my mother hadn't used one. Ten or Fifteen years ago it was virtually impossible to find such things unless you knew of a local store that stocked them.
Imustalsosay that the qualilty of products avaible is much better these days also. Mydiva cup and lunapads are much nicer than the stuff Iremember my mom using.
I really would like it if schools at least mentioned that there are nondisposable menstrual products. But lets be honest, our society is too squimish about blood, and menstration for it to ever be very popular. A little less implying that menstration is "dirty" would probably be good start though.
First let me say: Diva Cup rules. It changed my life, and I was lucky enough to learn about it really early on. Even so, I still felt cheated for the two years or so I used tampons before I discovered the Diva Cup.
johanna in dairyland nailed it: the reason you don't hear about alternative products is because they don't have giant commercial money backing them. Menstrual cups have been around longer than tampons, but once tampons were invented, the industry quickly realized that it's a lot more profitable for customers to be forced to buy disposable products every month, rather than one reusable product every few years or so. It's pretty easy to see how these now "alternative" options fell by the wayside.
Also, consider women's magazines and television. The advertising power mainstream feminine hygiene companies have is insane (how often do you see a tampon/pad ad?), and it's pretty easy to see how the media would bend over backwards to accommodate them. Think about it: say Diva Cup wants to advertise in Cosmo or whatever. Tampax/Playtex/etc. (who advertises regularly in Cosmo and all women's magazines) see the ad and flip out, because advertising not only a competitive product, but one that is reusable and would likely replace the customer's monthly need to buy any menstrual products, is a direct threat to Tampax/Playtex/etc.'s profits. Tampax/Playtex/etc. call Cosmo up and says "Yo, you keep running those Diva Cup ads and we will pull all our ads (and the ads of all the products of our parent companies - Proctor & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, etc.), costing you millions." Cosmo has no real commitment to women's health, small business, the environment, and alternative products (and a HUGE commitment to profits), therefore, they happily oblige. The shorter and probably more likely versions of this scenario are that the mag refuses to run Diva Cup's ad off the bat, already anticipating the feminine hygiene industry backlash, or Diva Cup simply doesn't have enough money to place the ad in the first place (which is why you often see ads for alternative products in smaller scale feminist magazines, where it costs a lot less to advertise. They ARE advertising, just not in places that are easily accessible.)
And Steven: fuck you. It's pretty ridiculous to suggest that we're intellectually lazy for not doing some heavy research on all our period options, especially from that cushy male-privilege seat. You have no idea how politicized women's health is, especially in schools and in sex ed, and you also have no idea how hard commercial feminine hygiene companies work to make sure that we're not aware of other non-disposable options. We should not have to expend a large amount of time and energy to learn about the best ways to care for our health, especially when schools are presumably claiming to teach us all of this. It's not our fault this information is actively withheld. It's not like we have a culture in which frank and honest discussion about women's bodies, health, and sexual organs is encouraged.
thanks for standing up for me. I found his comments very rude, especially since he's never had to fight and struggle to find out anything about his body and health. I found the part about being spoon fed information inappropriate and extremely rude because that's not what I want at all, and I happen to find it quite insulting as I am not lazy at all (I just graduated high school tenth in my class at a very hard school to succeed at) and at least try to think of myself as highly intelligent
And while we're on the Planned Parenthood tip, also check out Teen Talk, which has some great info on period stuff, including a little interactive thingie that shows you how to use certain period options (including the cup!):
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/teen-talk/watch/period-how-use-pad-tampon-cup-26793.htm
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/teen-talk/index.htm
“Our Bodies, Ourselves” is such a wonderful book. It has been around for years – and educating women for years. It is like a bible or an encyclopedia.
I’d also like to point out the negative impact that is made ON THE ENVIRONMENT when women use disposable menstrual products. Keeper.com (The Keeper, Inc.’s website) has a terrific COMPARISON PHOTO which shows the ACTUAL AMOUNT OF WASTE caused by tampon use in 1 month, 1 year, 10 years, and 40 years (one woman’s average menstruating lifetime).
To see this photo, go the Keeper.com, and click on “New: Photos,” on the left-hand side of the page. You’ll be shocked by what you see there. (HINT: A DUMP TRUCK was used to show an average lifetime use!)
When you go there, you’ll see the cost comparison as well: After just one year, the cost of tampons (and we used a low estimate of 18 tampons used per month) exceeds the cost of one Keeper. At this rate, after 10 years, a woman has spent approximately $480, more than twelve times the amount she would have spent for one Keeper. (With proper care, one Keeper can last up to 10 years – and some Keeper users have reported being able to use theirs for longer.)
So, there are lots of reasons for women to use REUSABLE menstrual products, rather than disposables!
Thanks.
Julia Schopick
www.Keeper.com
“Our Bodies, Ourselves” is such a wonderful book. It has been around for years – and educating women for years. It is like a bible or an encyclopedia.
I’d also like to point out the negative impact that is made ON THE ENVIRONMENT when women use disposable menstrual products. Keeper.com (The Keeper, Inc.’s website) has a terrific COMPARISON PHOTO which shows the ACTUAL AMOUNT OF WASTE caused by tampon use in 1 month, 1 year, 10 years, and 40 years (one woman’s average menstruating lifetime).
To see this photo, go the Keeper.com, and click on “New: Photos,” on the left-hand side of the page. You’ll be shocked by what you see there. (HINT: A DUMP TRUCK was used to show an average lifetime use!)
When you go there, you’ll see the cost comparison as well: After just one year, the cost of tampons (and we used a low estimate of 18 tampons used per month) exceeds the cost of one Keeper. At this rate, after 10 years, a woman has spent approximately $480, more than twelve times the amount she would have spent for one Keeper. (With proper care, one Keeper can last up to 10 years – and some Keeper users have reported being able to use theirs for longer.)
So, there are lots of reasons for women to use REUSABLE menstrual products, rather than disposables!
Thanks.
Julia Schopick
www.Keeper.com