The period industry is thriving. Menstrual products range from pads, cups, tampons, panty liners, rash creams, warm/cold compress, cramp medicines/relief patches, hormone medicines/injections, period drinks/eatables and so on. As per a 2017 Euromonitor report, the Indian ‘feminine’ hygiene product market is expected to be $552 million in 2020. At the same time, more than 70% Indian menstruators rely on cloths and rags because of stigma, leading to a lack of awareness and inaccessibility due to cost and absence of effective government schemes.
The Bleeding Cost
Menstruators have an estimated 450 periods in their lifetime. Menstruation is not an experience of choice and yet, menstrual hygiene management has been deliberately turned into luxury by companies cashing in on it. Pads are still costly as the celebrated GST-removal did not result in a price slash and instead burdened domestic producers, forcing home-brands to increase prices because it is now cheaper to import pads.
Government provisions such as the ‘Suvidha’ pads are not accessible to everyone because of the lack of awareness drives and improper implementation since the launch of the scheme. When asked if all menstruators around them can access menstrual products, Sohini Banerjee said, “No. Because they’re extremely costly and practically impossible to afford for the financially underprivileged. Accessibility of menstrual equipment to ensure a safe period is a question of privilege.”
Problems With Sanitary Napkins And Plastic Tampons
Stigma, instead of practicality, has been guiding the manufacturing of menstrual products that contributes to its unsustainability in terms of health, environment and price. Manufacturers obsess over layered packaging to maintain secrecy, leading to increased plastic use and cost. The majority of pads in the market are 90% plastic. They’re dreadful because they bring along allergies, rashes and sores, especially during humid weather.
Sohini says, “They provide enough leakage protection most of the times but unfortunately the side effects always lead to painful rashes, swelling (especially inner thighs) and vaginal itching after the end of almost every menstrual cycle.”
My experience is very similar. Even walking becomes a nightmare during my periods. After the period ends, it takes two days for the sore skin to heal and peel off. On those two days, I keep wishing for no work outside as I avoid wearing underwear because of pain. Even shifting from Whisper Ultra to Ultra Soft did not work because the ‘Ultra Soft’ is far from soft and only a lesser evil. These pads also have an extra fragrance that isn’t good for the vagina.
Plastic increases the risks of fungal and pelvic infection, vaginal allergies due to the damp and heat that collects. So, rash creams become an added menstrual expenditure for those who can avail it. Extreme cases of long-term usage may cause vaginitis/vulvitis and PID. Frontline doctors working for the Covid-19 crisis have been circumstantially bound to wear it for a long time and often bleed through their PPE. More such professions or situations forcing menstruators to wear napkin/tampons for long stretches becomes harmful to their health.
What Are The Alternatives?
Menstrual cups, reusable cloth pads are slowly, but increasingly, becoming an alternative to plastic pads. The Muhamma village in Alappuzha, Kerala, is the first village in India to become synthetic-pad free. To aid menstrual waste management, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman launched a project to encourage women to use cloth pads and menstrual cups. ‘Project Thinkal’ by the Alappuzha municipality in Kerala distributed 5,000 menstrual cups for free.
Cost, comfort and health are the various guiding factors for buyers. Lasting up to five years, one cup can easily replace hundreds of pads for a person in a single year. Cups and biodegradable options, thus, are not only sustainable but cost-effective, comfortable and healthy. Tampons are plastic-based (biodegradables have also come up) but comfort wise, are better than pads.
Dipanjana Guha said, “I have been using tampons for a long time because of uneasiness from the sanitary napkins. They are more comfortable and effective.”
S.Jose* writes, “I think tampons and menstrual cups are an effective alternative to sanitary napkins. Most napkins and tampons are not reusable. Napkins create rashes, allergies and there’s a chance of leakage during heavy flow. It’s also expensive to buy hoards of packets monthly and causes a lot of plastic waste too. If you invest in a menstrual cup, it can be reused, but you’d have to take good care of it by washing it rigorously in hot water or it can cause an allergic reaction the next time you use it.”
The Horror Of Having Something Up There
There are several factors that discourage people from using cups/tampons/products requiring insertion. The first thing that strikes many is that it might hurt. Sohini says, “Since I have never used a cup/tampon, I find it a little challenging to insert them inside my vagina as I fear that I will not be able to follow the procedure properly and end up hurting myself.” Insertion is also a problem due to pre-existing health conditions for some. S.Jose writes, “I have vaginismus, so it is nearly impossible to insert tampons/cups so I have to stick to napkins despite discomfort.”
Many are uncomfortable with blood and anxious about infections. Yashi Singh says, “The prospect of putting something in my vagina does not feel good. Also, I tend to be forgetful so I have this irrational fear that I’ll forget about the cup and end up with an infection. Finally, I don’t like blood. The idea of taking out the cup and cleaning it makes me feel woozy.”
Patriarchal prejudices around virginity, female and the LGBTQIA+ sexual desire leads to a lack of awareness about and closeness to one’s body. Several women feel uncomfortable touching themselves because both the act and discussions on it are discouraged. Inserting one’s own fingers is scary to many as is a tampon/cup and the heteronormative patriarchal perceptions on virginity lead to stigma. A friend of mine had shared an anecdote where a classmate of hers, upon learning that she uses tampons, exclaimed, “Omg you won’t remain a virgin anymore!”
S.Jose* says, “I feel in India, people are aversive to using tampons and menstrual cups because you have to insert them into your vagina, which is considered a taboo, a really stupid one in my opinion.”
Lack Of Information And Advertisement
Because synthetic pads govern markets, alternative products are not promoted well enough and thus, not trusted by everyone. Amina* says “I don’t know any of my friends who have used it so that I can ask their experience with it. I have only been googling. The understanding is not that clear. They say not all cups are suitable for your vagina, so I worry if I have to keep buying these costly cups and then none of them fit me properly. But still, I really want to start using one when I think of the waste being produced due to pads.”
Riya* from Kolkata says how she hasn’t ever used them “because of lack of proper awareness. marketing and advertisements. Sanitary napkins of various kinds are advertised. But nothing on tampons and menstrual cups.”
Take That Leap Of Faith
Teesta Lahiri, who switched to menstrual cups, says, “It used to (feel dangerous), but now it doesn’t. I’m still not too comfortable with tampons but I love the menstrual cup, even though I was initially terrified of it. A friend convinced me that it was actually pretty easy and on trial, I found her to be correct.”
So, just take that leap of faith. As Founder of DEA corps, an all-female team that makes menstrual cups, said, “It may take time to find the best method to insert the cup, but you have to be patient and try it out. The eventual relief will negate the initial hiccups.”
*Name changed