This may be TMI (too much infomation) for some of you gents & ladies, but I think it’s a worthwhile tip when considering long-term stockpiling. Women who still menstruate may want to consider switching to maxipads during their periods rather than tampons. The chlorine used in most tampons can extend the number of days you bleed, thus extending the amount of “personal product” you need to stockpile. Plus there’s the issue of toxic shock syndrome, not something I would want to deal with in quarantine. When I switched to using maxipads, my average days of bleeding per period went from six to three.
There was a thread in the past where people discussed various options (sorry I can’t remember the name)… a number of us ended up purchasing a product called the “Diva Cup” which is a silicone cup which is reusable for years. I’ve been very happy with it so far and encourage others to give it a look. At around $30 it’s a larger investment up front, but over the long term I expect it will save me many many dollars not to mention lightening my load on the local landfill!
Thanks, Kim. You long timers, if you see a questions that’s been addressed, pop a link in.
Aren’t there also rubber cups called Keepers available that work the same way as a Diva Cup? — I know these wouldn’t work for women with allergies to rubber or latex, but it is another option.
I stockpile pads because they can be very helpful in a medical emergency in which someone of either gender is injured and bleeding profusely — in a pinch they can be used as a bandage/compress!
every person’s body is different. Pads may not have the chlorine (this has to be verified) but with pads there’s the issue of yeast infections.
From what I’ve read the diva cup is really the best and most hygenic solution. If anyone else tries it please post.
For y2k I stockpiled tampons and stockpiled some more. My flows decreased over time so the supply lasted, and lasted. At least 4 years as I recall. I did sort of worry about toxic shock, but nothing happened. I do also have The Keeper cup, but never used it.
I’ve used tampons back to back and for longer than they say you should, sometimes 8 hours. I’ve never had any problems and certainly not toxic shock - I wonder if that even exists.
Toxic shock exists - I know a girl who got it.
I was a teenage when the whole Toxic Shock thing happened in the late 70′s/early 80′s. As a result I have always been deligent about no using them for too long. Eventhough the earlier problem was pirmarily caused by flawed design, you can still get it quite easily.
Another option if you’re on BCP, or are thinking about starting, is to get several months worth and take it continuously rather than take the week-off pills.
Kim, when I clink on the link http://fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Forum.FeminineHygiene I get” “The forum is read-only until further notice. Return to main Forum page.”
No actual thread to read.
Anyway FWIW, pre-world war two, i.e. before disposible sanitary pads were invented, women used cloth pads and washed them. Yuk!
I asked a friend in a third world country what do you do, the stuff is expensive. She said get pregnant and stay either nursing or pregnant.
I had a friend that used the “Keeper” but it caused bruising on her cervix. Im not sure if this is common or not.
LizB, I guess that thread disappeared when fluwikie2 was created. The gist of the conversation on it was about a DivaCup, which is something I bought because of that thread (had never heard of it before that). Anyway, I LOVE it, and will never never ever go back to tampons. Have had mine for 3–4 months now, and it has decreased the intensity of my cramps considerably (does nothing for the PMS, but ya take what you can get). I still sometimes use a backup pad with the DivaCup, but leaks are pretty rare (unlike with tampons… can’t tell you how many times I had to go home and change because of an “accident” when using them). There is a short learning curve to be able to insert the DivaCup properly, but after that it’s SO simple, and extremely comfortable. In the short time I’ve had it it’s already paid for itself because I’m not buying tampons. It comes in a little drawstring bag that fits discreetly in my purse (since I’m never sure exactly what day I’ll start). I bought mine on ebay, but you can also find them here http://www.divacup.com/
Oh yes, the best thing about using a DivaCup instead of tampons is being able to sleep through the night and not wake up to a big bloody mess and ruined sheets! I SURE don’t miss that!
The new link to the aforementioned thread is: fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.FeminineHygiene
Oh great…. population probs in underdeveloped countries because there aren’t affordable menstruation products…. wonderful.
Oh great…. population probs in underdeveloped countries because there aren’t affordable menstruation products…. wonderful. Our world has cancer.
I can assure you from experience that soldiers, scientists and others that work in remote locations have no time for tampons. Keepers, Diva cups or others of differing brands are de rigeur. The other method I we use is to be on the pill and throw away the placebo week. Just start another package. No, it is not unhealthy not to menstruate.
There are plenty of us who can’t use birth control pills because of medical reasons, and some women have religious beliefs against using the Pill, and others just don’t WANT to take the Pill. I doubt very seriously that menstrual protection costs any more than birth control protection, and doubt that a woman in Africa who can’t afford tampons or birth control is reading any of this anyway. Besides, don’t we hand out condoms and birth control like candy to just about anyone in the world who wants it? Perhaps the women in undeveloped countries are better off NOT being able to afford tampons, it’s likely better for their health to use cloth protection. I can assure you that, as a woman, I would NOT be popping out kids one after another just because I couldn’t afford tampons or other feminine protection… I’d be using wadded up bundles of grass for protection before I’d turn into a baby machine just for that reason. And, not everyone wants to live half their lives on a steady diet of synthetic hormones.
Old thread - Closed to increase Forum speed.