If there is one positive that came out of the COVID 19 pandemic, it is that everyone is focussed on improving their health and immunity. It is about time that us humans, stopped taking our body for granted. Health issues, no matter how small they are can often interfere with other aspects of our life and can take a toll on our stress levels and our overall happiness. But it is also particularly important to be responsible while taking care of our health. Read on to know why.
For women, menstrual hygiene is an aspect that is often ignored or taken for granted. We know that menstruation is a natural part of the reproductive cycle, but the lack of information about menstrual hygiene, and the taboos and misinformation about menstruation may lead to potential health risks among women.
While most of us easily opt for the ‘plastic shield’ available at any supermarket or pharmacy, we forget that these personal hygiene products with plastic are extremely toxic and harmful for our health and the environment. Plastic pervades modern life, and menstruation is no exception. Since the middle of the 20th century, many tampons and menstrual pads have contained somewhere between a little and a lot of plastic in their basic design—sometimes for reasons that “improve” the design, but often for reasons less crucial.
A sanitary towel – which is the preferred product for women around the world – is estimated to contain almost 90 per cent plastic. A packet of sanitary towels is the equivalent, roughly, to five plastic bags. Tampons are approximately 6 per cent plastic but this can vary. A woman will buy between 5,000 and 15,000 sanitary pads or tampons over the course of her lifetime. The vast majority of these items end up in landfill, while many are flushed down the toilet and often end up on the shorelines.
It’s time we understand the importance of making the right choice of sanitary napkin that can go a long way in keeping yourself and the environment healthy. Plastfree – https://plastfree.ae/ is one solution that aims to offer safety through sustainability.
Research suggests that the conventional female hygiene products contain 90% plastic, which is equivalent to almost 4 single use plastic bags. Plastic sanitary pads take 500-800 years to completely disintegrate in landfills. Some of these sanitary pads are flushed down the toilet and can end up on beaches or polluting our oceans for decades. While the plastic in sanitary pads does not degrade easily, the improper disposal of menstrual waste itself, is another source of pollution that can lead to deadly diseases. There is no doubting the damage that these plastic period products are causing to our plant.
However, it is not just the environment that these conventional period products cause harm to. Plastic sanitary pads contain chemicals and toxins that can cause a range of issues – skin sensitivity, allergies, rashes, infections, UTI and even Cervical Cancer, among consumers. While using plastic period products, there are high chances of getting fungal infections due to collection of moisture. It might also lead to pelvic infection which can cause allergies and irritation in the vaginal area.
Conventional sanitary pads also contain a chemical called Dioxin. A short-term exposure to dioxin causes skin darkening and altered liver function. Since a woman might end up using somewhere between 4000-5000 sanitary pads in her lifetime, the accumulation of this dioxin might case more serious health risks.
Women have a right to more transparency about the content and sustainability of menstrual products. We are at a time in history when we must make eco-friendly choices in our daily lives to protect the environment and make the right choice to ensure ‘safety through sustainability’. Plastic-free options can go a long way in keeping oneself and the environment healthy. Using natural products is a first step to ensure good personal hygiene and improve the overall health.
By listening to our bodies and taking good care of them, we can maintain a state of balance and inner harmony and lead a long healthy life.
