Fair warning: I don't want to hear anything about how "gross" this is. It's not. It's NATURAL. It's a part of life. It's THE MOON. It's what we are, and it's a function of our stunning bodies. That's all there is to it. There is nothing "gross" about it, whatsoever. I hope some of you take as much comfort in that as I do.
Onward.
I will be discussing something kind of fun today. Well, it's fun for me. I can't speak on behalf of other female-bodied individuals, but this is a subject that I take a special brand of pleasure in discussing.
Menstruation!
When I was younger, I really used to hate it. Yes, I hated the debilitating cramps, the mood swings that made everyone around me call me "Sybil," and the crippling, blinding migraines. I hated crawling to the medicine cabinet to search frantically for Pamprin or aspirin or SOMETHING. I hated that I had to feel uncomfortable all day long for four days straight. I hated going to school when I was on my period, and participating in gym class. I hated that I had to be worried that someone would know I was bleeding. I hated the sucky fear of bleeding all over my clothes, and staining my pants, especially during the night. I hated everything associated with it.
And now, more than anything, I simply hate the social stigma attached to it.
I'll admit that, yes, I still get headaches and cramps and mood swings. I still feel uncomfortable and bloated. I still like to be alone (or exclusively with other women) when I'm bleeding, and I still like to binge on chocolate and watch the moon and demand absolutely nothing from myself, or any other woman. But, now that I'm older and I'm so much more in-tune with my feminist side, I will admit that it holds a certain charm for me. I can't say I look forward to all the icky stuff that comes with it, but I don't dread it anymore, either. Sometimes, I even stand in the shower and just watch the blood run down my legs and into the drain. Just because I can. Because it's undeniably feminine. And it's power. That's certainly not meant as a dig to exclude my transgendered sisters, either, to invalidate their feminine qualities or their womanhood, or to say that having your period is what makes one a woman, or even feminine. It's just something that I think of as another facet of my own personal femininity, and the power OF that femininity. After all, it's something natural and healthy, and it can make grown men cower and grimace, because it's been long-stigmatized by society's cuntfear. So, yes, that's pretty powerful to me.
Anyway.
Now that I've gushed a little bit (no pun intended), I'd like to talk a little bit about commercially-produced menstruation products, and birth control pills/patches/shots/what have you, as many brands affect one's monthly cycle, these days, and why it's important for women to avoid them as much as you can, if you can.
Mass-produced menstrual products are three things: They're bad for the Earth, they're bad for your body, and they contain chemicals and other noxious elements which are incredibly harsh on some of the most sensitive skin you possess. When using tampons, especially, think about the function of a tampon: It is inserted into your vagina, and it is used to absorb your flow. Now, think about this: It is ALSO absorbing all of your natural lubrication! And that is why women have come up with Toxic Shock Syndrome. When your natural lubrication is absorbed completely, the area, obviously, becomes quite dry; it's an area that is not meant to be dried out like that. When the area becomes dry, and you stuff another wad of cotton up there, it's going to cause hairline wounds. When hairline wounds are present, bacteria has the propensity to seep inside of them. When bacteria seeps inside of them, and it's harmful bacteria, you get an infection you can't even feel. Next thing you know, you're waking up in the emergency room because you passed out, and you're recovering from a near-death experience! And that's only if you're lucky enough to have caught it in time.
Pads aren't much better, as they still contain chemicals, harsh perfumes, and the cotton is stiff and dry. (And, seriously, what's the deal with them constantly shifting and feeling incredibly bulky and flat-out scootching up one's ass?) Anyone who has ever worn one knows how uncomfortable and annoying they are.
Birth control is a seriously poor solution, too. We're forced, day in and day out, to watch these commercials with conventionally-beautiful, racially-ambiguous, smiling women who are raving about "four periods a year!" and what a good thing it is to be on the pill, in favor of only having to endure four periods a year. What's so good about that? I don't see anything positive about repressing your body's functions. I'm supposed to be impressed that one can take this pill that shortens your periods and/or represses them completely, while simultaneously augmenting the potential for heart attacks, strokes, blood-clots, and other extremely harmful conditions? All of these things can lead to death. And birth control of all kinds have taken the lives of women. Women are supposed to seriously endanger their lives for shorter, more infrequent periods and so their boyfriends don't have to wear a condom (which will NOT endanger his life in any way, shape, or form, provided that he isn't allergic)?
Oh, the world we live in.
There's also the undeniable fact that the overwhelming majority of ALL of these products - both menstruation products and birth control alike - are produced, managed, marketed, and developed by men.
By men. For women.
By men. FOR women.
Yeah. There's something wrong with that picture.
So, you may be thinking, "What am I supposed to do, then? I kinda don't want to bleed all over and inside my clothes."
Never fear - the period fairy (that'd be me) is here!
Several months ago, I switched to Lunapads. Lunapads is a company that is founded and run by women. They are reusable, washable maxi-pads and panty-liners that clasp around your underwear like a store-bought maxi with wings would, and you simply change the liner and wash it when needed. The cotton is breathable and organic, and it honestly doesn't feel to me like I'm wearing anything but my panties when I'm wearing them. They're safe, free of chemicals, and I've had better luck not bleeding over the sides and staining my underwear when I wear them. They come in all sizes, so if you're a small girl, you can find something to fit your body, and if you're a larger woman, they make products with you and your needs in mind, too. They also last for at least five years, though I'm sure you could use them for longer, depending on your flow and how light or heavy your periods tend to be.
I am fully aware that some women don't like to wear maxi-pads, and just feel a little squicked out by the thought of bleeding onto something, and I totally understand that. It's a matter of preference for all of us. The wonderful thing is, there are options out there for tampon-wearers, too (or for those, like myself, who like to alternate).
While I haven't personally used one yet, but I've heard a lot of great testimonials about the MoonCup/DivaCup (also founded and run by women). It is a small, hospital-grade silicon cup that you can insert inside of you, like a tampon, and it fits over your cervix to catch your flow; they come in two sizes - one for those who have given birth, and one for those who haven't. It also lasts for five (or more) years. I hear it holds about an ounce of fluid, which is actually quite a lot, since most of us only bleed about three or four ounces throughout our entire period. I have been looking into getting one, for when I leave the house, so I can stop using disposables completely. There are other, similar products on the web, as well.
I also hear some women use sea-sponges in place of tampons, and that they work quite well, with the only con being that when they get full, they... uh. Leak. A little bit. But that shouldn't be too much of a concern if you rinse/change it often. I also wouldn't personally endorse the use of these, as I am a vegan, but I know some women aren't bothered by it, so I say this: You gotta do what you gotta do.
As a final thought: I know some of these things may seem a little expensive, but if you do the math, I think you'll realize that it's a wise investment, in the long run. And I also implore you to consider the fact that you are saving the environment by reducing your impact on it in using products like these. Money can't buy that! Even if you just use these products at home, and disposables when you go out (which is somewhat along the lines of what I've been doing, but I use disposables as little as possible, which is almost never, now), you're still saving money and saving the Earth. You can find breathable, unbleached, organic cotton disposables in most natural/health food stores. And, of course, if you DO end up buying these, and have disposables left over that you don't plan on using, you can donate them to a women's shelter, or to a relief organization to give to women in third-world countries. Most of those women have absolutely nothing, and a lot of people forget that they, too, have periods each month. They always, always, always appreciate stuff like that.
I'd now like to provide some links to these wonderful, women-run and women-owned companies that offer such products, and I really hope it helps anyone who was curious.
http://lunapads.com/
http://www.gladrags.com/
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/cloth-menstrual-pads.aspx
http://www.divacup.com/
http://www.mooncup.co.uk/
http://www.keeper.com/
http://www.seapearls.co.uk/history.php
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