Much to my partner's despair/disgust, one of my guilty pleasures in life is watching Embarrassing Bodies. I'm quite fascinated with how our bodies work, and love the no-nonsense attitude of doctors Christian, Dawn and Pixie.
Having spent approximately the last seven years advocating reusable menstrual products, imagine my excitement when the preview for this week's episode advertised a segment about periods, and showed a woman holding up a menstrual cup. Hurray! At long last, so-called "alternative" products are appearing in mainstream media!
Well. I saw the programme on 4od yesterday, and what a wasted opportunity. Yes, the segment was informative, but the menstrual cups were introduced as if they were some kind of strange medical device solely for measuring menstrual flow. There was no mention of them actually being effective menstrual protection. What a shame for viewers who are allergic to disposable products, and could have been introduced to a healthier alternative.
I was 22 when I discovered reusables. Disposables had caused me pain and irritation since day one, and I was thrilled to learn there were other options. If I'd missed that one thread on an online forum, I might still be struggling with disposables today, and Luna Wolf might not exist. When the Embarrassing Bodies camera panned across a selection of different menstrual wear, why were there no cloth pads or cups to be seen? Why are reusable menstrual products never suggested to women who come into the clinic with vulval pain?
It shouldn't be a matter of stumbling upon the information when looking for something else. Girls have a right to know about their options as soon as they start menstruating. You can bet that if I'd been introduced to reusables when we had the "period talk" at school, I'd have ended the misery of disposables much younger. The Embarrassing Bodies segment was a great opportunity to educate women on the many different options we have for menstrual protection, and it was a disappointment to see it wasted.
The only real issue I had was the stem pushing a bit on my walls. So if I was to use this cup again and have it fit comfortably I would actually need to trim this cup. menstrual cup canada
ReplyDeleteMy wife also says that reusables are much more comfy and regrets they were not available when she was a teenager
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