New Age Product for Menstrual Hygiene

Global Rainbow Healthcare, Agra

1. New age products for Menstrual hygiene Greener Doctrine A pan-India campaign to promote social, economic and environmentally sustainable menstruation choices E-mail: [email protected]

2. Let’s Talk about IT; because Menstruation Matters ! A woman attains menarche between 10 years - 15 years Reaches menopause by 45 years - 50 years Thus bleeding for approximately 35 - 40 years ~ 420 periods in a lifetime ! ~ 5 days a month ~ 2 months in a year ~7 years in a lifetime is the magnitude of time spent menstruating Very few professionals have actively engaged with the issue of menstrual hygiene, although it has crossed many a mind in passing. - Bharadwaj 2004 Junction social- Menstrual hygeine and Management – taking stock

3. What do most of us currently use for Menstrual Hygiene ?

4. A woman uses 10-15 sanitary pads per period x 12 months x 35 yrs> = appx 60 00 disposable sanitary pads in a lifetime! Most of sanitary waste is disposed in open landfills in unsanitary conditions. For safe disposal, sanitary napkin waste needs to incinerated at temperatures > 800 degrees C. Bangalore alone produces approximately 90,000 kgs of sanitary waste per day. Disposable Sanitary Napkins and Tampons

5. REALITY CONVENIENT THIN, WITH WINGS, DON’T MOVE LEAK PROOF HYGIENIC MADE OF PLASTICS AND CHEMICALS CAUSE INFECTIONS AND RASHES ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS MAKES MENSTRUAL BLOOD SMELL NON BIODEGRADABLE CAN’T BE REUSED CAN’T BE RECYCLED BLOAT IN WATER, CLOG DRAINS OUR PERCEPTION

6. Ingredients in a disposable pad Styrene Also used in car tires Chloroethane Also used in Styrofoam Chloromethane Used in Petroleum refining Acetone Also used in nail polish remover

7. Problems faced when using pads and tampons PADS TAMPONS dispose our Leaks Dryness in the vaginal mucosa Infections of Bacterial Vaginosis and Moniliasis Chaffing of the thighs and the genitals Cystitis – E-coli carried from the rectum to the urethra. Spreading of the Bacterial Vaginosis Contact dermatitis The mal-odour associated with periods. Bulge of the pad is visible under the clothes that we wear Liswood 1959 Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol 13(5)

8. Studies show that up to a 1/3rd of women who complain of vaginal itching and rashes, soreness and/or discharge may be experiencing the symptoms of Vulval Dermatitis or intimate Irritation due to sanitary pads. Rashes, burns, Itches? It may be your sanitary pad... Pena 1962 Obstetrics and Gynaecology 19(5) Impact on HEALTH

9. Impact on ENVIRONMENT Cannot Recycle or Reuse Dumped in the landfill and takes hundreds of years to degrade. Serious Environmental & Health Effects Disposing Natural Resources If burnt –produces dioxins and furans

10. Sanitary waste is picked up from your doorstep/ work place, by housekeeping staff, pourakarmikas, waste-pickers Handled manually. Exposing them to health hazards such as infections and diseases. Impact on WASTE WORKERS

11. Many pads get flushed down the toilet. Super absorbent gel makes them bloat and clog the drains... Cleaners have to get into these drains to clean them manually. Impact on SANITATION SYSTEMS

12. SOLUTIONS ? Pads/ Tampons/ Diapers Chemicals/ Plastics Health & Environment Problems Cloth Pads/ Menstrual Cups/ Cloth Diapers Reusable/ Bio-Degradable Better for Health & the Environment

13. Solution 1 Reusable CLOTH PADS

14. Maintaining hygiene of a used cloth pad is easy with these three steps!!

15. Solution 2 Reusable MENSTRUAL CUPS Many varieties of cups

16. Similar to feeding bottle nipples

17. Menstrual cup

18. Menstrual cup insertion

19. Users of tampons can easily shift to menstrual cups Menstrual Cup Tampon

20. Menstrual cup insertion FAQs Insertion needs lubrication – your own menstrual blood or water. It is not necessary to check how high the cervix is, as the cervix is not in one position always. Squat to be able to insert easily especially in the beginning.

21. Scared of inserting? Don’t worry! If the woman is comfortable with intercourse, inserting the cup should not be problem. The menstrual cup is much smaller than the size of a baby’s head at childbirth. ( Difference between the lemon-and a coconut )

22. There is a learning curve Insertion and removal can be learnt in 2-3 cycles . Initially it may feel messy , especially during removal –but women learn to remove it easily by the end of 2-3 cycles . Once learnt, women prefer not to get back to disposable pads/tampons as menstrual cups are very comfortable. If all of us have learnt to use , then this is easy too.

23. Cleaning the cup Just a cup of normal water is enough to clean the menstrual cup. No need to sterilize it as the vagina is not a sterile organ. Just wash and dry it, keep in a cloth pouch between periods. Wash and wear it at the next period.

24. Can one use the menstrual cup with CuT? Yes.

25. How much can a menstrual cup hold? Normal period –women bleed totally about 50-80 ml . The menstrual cup holds about 15-23 ml. Emptying once in 6- 8-10 hours is more than adequate. Cup can be emptied as per the individual flow pattern of the woman (if the blood flow is heavy, then the cup can be emptied once in 3-4 hours)

26. No back flow is possible as the cervix contracts if any liquid is introduced. Less chances of bacterial vaginosis Cleaning is very easy and takes only a few minutes –water required for this is very little- WASH and WEAR Peer effects in menstrual cup uptake - Oster Thornton Journal of the European Economic Association December 2012 10(6):1263–1293 Phillips-Howard PA, et al. BMJ Open 2016;6:e013229.- Study among school children in Kenya Juma J, et al. BMJ Open 2017; Advantages of menstrual cup

27. No need to remove it for passing urine or stools unlike with pads. Requires less frequent removal to empty the cup as compared to the number of times a pad has to be changed. Not affected by rain. Doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything. Comfort of menstrual cup

28. Mobility is the biggest advantage. No restriction of movement or irritation of inner thighs. Can participate in all kinds of heavy work and sports, including working in the field, swimming , etc. Comfort of menstrual cup contd..

29. Cost advantages of menstrual cup ₹ Money spent on Menstrual cups in 10 years Rs. 1,000 – 3,000/- ₹ ₹₹₹ Money spent on Sanitary Pads in 10 years Rs. 12, – 45,000/- ₹ 1 reusable cup can be used for 8-10 years, saving money and generating less waste in the landfill

30. Other Reusable/Sustainable hygiene products Period Panties Labia pads Baby and adult diapers Available in India

31. Use a menstrual cup or a cloth pad and Say hello to Trash free, Rash free, Cash free Periods!

32. Menarche Marriage Menopause Menstrual Cup Cloth Pad Use a cloth pad from Menarche to Marriage, and then till Menopause use a menstrual cup

33. Join the Green the Red campaign And start a conversation about sustainable menstruation! On Facebook : Green the Red On Twitter: @ greenthered1 Website: www.greenthered.in Email: [email protected] QUESTIONS?