Written by: Manjima Tarafdar
Hygiene is one of the most vital unsaid rules of menstruation, which most of us forget. I remember during my early years how I would use a single sanitary napkin for more than 10 hours, and now, even thinking about it gives me nightmares. I have heard that people with less blood flow during their periods do not change napkins for a day. Can you imagine how unhygienic and problematic that is? In many rural areas, it can be observed that many women use cloth rags, which are not washed and dried properly. This can lead to vaginal infections, itching and other major health-related problems.
In the past few years, many new sanitary products have taken over the world. Feminine hygiene has become a priority in recent times, when products such as synthetic sanitary napkins are being discouraged and products such as menstrual cups, tampons and disposable sanitary napkins are being talked about more.
Remember those sanitary napkins advertisements that would show a woman in her 20s jumping around and telling the audience that she can wear the napkin for more than a few hours as it is long-lasting and absorbent, without leaking or causing itchiness? Yeah? Well, they lied. And it took me a lot more than a few years to understand why such claims were not just false, but also rather harmful.
In an article I read, it was mentioned that many researchers from the Tata Memorial Center and National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in India analysed used menstrual pads and revealed a presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is known to be the cause of cervical cancer.
Sanitary napkins have evolved through the decades. From being purely made up of cotton layers, it started being made with a waterproof plastic layer, which would prevent them from leaking and staining. Later, it changed into an extremely thin sanitary napkin with a gel core layer that was supposed to be more absorbent, leak-proof and stain proof. It might have looked like a saving grace to us, but in reality, it turned out to be more of a problem than a solution. Women’s Voices of Earth, in a report of 2013, mentioned that several carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and even surface irritants were used in menstrual hygiene products such as sanitary pads.
Many sanitary pads even used products that used dioxin to achieve a pure white look. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared dioxin to be a pollutant and carcinogen. Dioxin is used to bleach the cotton used in sanitary pads to make them look whiter and cleaner. The vaginal mucous membrane is very permeable and can absorb chemicals such as dioxin into the bloodstream. This dioxin gets accumulated in the body and can cause cervical and ovarian cancer.
Ever imagined why your sanitary pads have this fresh scent, seemingly making it look as if it is odour-free? Such pads are laced with odour neutralisers and artificial fragrances. These chemicals can cause allergies and problems that might lead to cancer if used for prolonged hours. Phosphates are used in sanitary napkins to give them a smooth finish. They have been shown to cause endocrine disruption, which might lead to the growth of cancerous tumors.
Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) are mostly petroleum by-products that claim to soak 30 times their weight. SAP can cause irritation, skin reaction, allergies and even reproductive issues. These cellulose gels, which actually form the bulk of the absorbent material, can cause cervical cancer in case of prolonged exposure.
Sanitary napkins, along with other menstrual products, are still being researched as feminine hygiene. Cervical and ovarian cancer have become a huge problem in recent years. If sanitary napkins are at all to be used, one must change them at regular intervals and not be exposed to them for a prolonged time. It is advisable to decrease the use of sanitary pads and consult an expert (doctors or gynaecologists) to learn more about different menstrual products and their safety.