Ladies, it’s time to switch to alternative menstrual hygiene products. Read here to know why?

“My monthly trauma of changing sanitary pads every few hours finally ended in September 2016 when I opted to choose a menstrual cup. Initially, I felt little uneasy to come face-to-face with a pool of blood, but on realising its benefits, I decided to give it a go,” quips Rukhsar Saleem, mother of two young kids who spends her day running after them. “It’s a kind of a blessing in disguise.”

Rukhsar’s choice of a menstrual cup was usually hard to find. But, the internet-savvy blogger, story-teller is now able to get the cup of her choice delivered at her doorstep. “The experience has been outstanding and it is extremely economical. I bought one cup for Rs 800 and it lasts for a couple of years,” she says.

Statistics from NFHS-4 survey highlights that 42 per cent Indian women use sanitary napkins, 62 per cent use cloth, and 16 per cent use locally prepared napkins. Infact, in rural areas, only 48% women have access to clean sanitary napkins, unlike 78% urban women.

These non-biodegradable sanitary napkins are a threat to the environment as they have a plastic component which takes about 450-500 years to decompose.

Moreover, disposable pads contain chemicals; some are made up of rayon – a synthetic material. And the pads that are actually made of cotton are usually bleached with chlorine.

So with India alone having over 35,50,00,000 menstruating women, we can only imagine the number of sanitary pads being tossed in a bin, every day.

It was only recently when Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced the government’s scheme to provide subsidised sanitary pads through door-to-door marketing, at schools and Anganwadi Centres.

When it’s about menstrual hygiene products, it is not just about the price. Factors such as safe disposal and access to environment-friendly and cost-effective alternatives too plays a crucial role. These efforts need broader dialogue, strong policy interventions and awareness campaigns.

So, is switching over to eco-friendly options a better idea? Definitely, natural alternatives like a menstrual cup or bio-degradable pads are not just better options in terms of usability but also, these products are environment-friendly. Besides, they are safe and as effective as sanitary pads.

The first Lancet study published in July 2019 analysed the safe usage of menstrual cups. It highlights that a menstrual cup is a less known but most cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative.

Menstrual cups are usually made of silicone and are supposed to be inserted into the vagina. It should be removed, emptied, rinsed, and reinserted after every 4-6 hours, depending on the type of flow.

Unlike sanitary pads, a cup collects menstrual fluid but that doesn’t make it any harmful. The scientific review published in The Lancet suggests that menstrual cups are safe and result in similar, or lower, leakage than disposable pads. The paper analysed 43 studies and data from 3,300 women and girls.

A single cup is re-usable upto five years or more but it should be boiled and sterilised before next use.