News » way Period Mentality

For half the world鈥檚 population Montez Sweat Jersey , getting your period is a monthly inconvenience that must be dealt with for decades of your life. Thanks to the modern world, it鈥檚 easier than ever to get access to feminine hygiene products. However, the convenience of grabbing a box of pads when you need them comes at a cost, as these piles of disposable pads and bleached tampons have some big impacts on our planet today.
Thankfully, there is another way. With a little openness to trying new things Dwayne Haskins Jersey , you can find sustainable alternatives for taking care of your period that are better for both the planet and your own body. To learn why using alternative menstrual products might be the best life change you can make this month, read on.

The Damage To The Environment
It might be simple to grab your trusty bag of pads to care of your period every month, but those absorbent liners really start to add up.
There are an estimated 3.5 million women on the planet today, and each year they are responsible for dumping over 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons into landfills. In fact, the average woman uses over 16 Da'Ron Payne Jersey ,000 pads and tampons throughout her lifetime, all of which end up in dump or sewage treatment plants. That鈥檚 well over 300 pounds of trash filled with plastics that never break down.
Even worse, many pads contain special chemicals that are manufactured to absorb fluids up to 10 times their weight. This helps them control unwanted messes, but what happens when they make it into a landfill? In most cases, these chemicals haven鈥檛 been thoroughly studied and their impacts on water systems and the greater environment are relatively unknown.


The Concerns With Cotton
If you watch the commercials Landon Collins Jersey , cotton companies will have you believe that every cotton product is plucked from pristine white fields and delicately transformed into your tampon. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Not only do most tampons contain rayon (a synthetic chemical that can dry out the vaginal wall), but the cotton they are made from is treated with pesticides, bleached and chlorinated before being sold.
In fact, according to the Rodale Institute Alex Smith Jersey , cotton is one of the dirtiest crops in the entire world. Four out of five pesticides used on cotton in the US have been proven to have negative environmental consequences, and 25 countries, the United States included, rely on aldicarb as an insecticide, a solution known to have dire effects on wildlife and water systems.
Cotton is also a top GMO crop Sean Taylor Jersey , as 90% of the cotton grown in the US is genetically engineered, meaning that growing cotton for pads and tampons is increasing the world鈥檚 exposure to altered genetic products that aren鈥檛 fully understood.


The Risks To Your Body
If the consequences for the environment aren鈥檛 enough to get you to change your habits, looking at the risks that conventional period products have for your body might do the trick.
Chemical Exposure
Many of the plastics used in pads and tampons contain chemicals that aren鈥檛 fully understood. BPA and BPS are both chemicals common in pads and tampons that have been found to alter the development of embryos in the womb as well as increase your risk of developing heart disease and some forms of cancer. Phthalates are a chemical often found in tampons that can wreck your body鈥檚 ability to fully express genes and occasionally causes organ failure.
Not only are the chemicals in commercial menstrual products potentially damaging, these products are also designed to be used near one of the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of the human body. The female reproductive organs are extremely thin skinned, meaning that blood vessels run right next to the surface. Because skin is permeable and allows chemicals to travel through it Cheap Washington Redskins Hats , the synthetic chemicals in pads and tampons can be easily absorbed into your blood stream and spread throughout your body.
Relying on plastics and other synthetics also restricts the flow of air, which can lead to heat and moisture being captured in your underwear, creating the perfect environment for yeast infections to grow.


Toxic Shock Syndrome
Though rare, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) can cause you to suffer from a life threatening infection from using a tampon. Though TSS isn鈥檛 fully understood, it鈥檚 thought to be caused by highly dangerous staphylococcus aureus bacteria that can lodge itself in the vaginal tract after small tears are made in the sides due to a tampon. If you don鈥檛 change your tampon in time Cheap Washington Redskins T-Shirts , the infection can build up and spread throughout your blood stream. The consequences can be severe and often result in vomiting, diarrhea, and occasionally amputation.
The Costs Of A Throwaway Period Mentality
In some ways, the damage of using disposable period products hits your wallet as much as your body. Assuming an average woman spends $5 per month on a box of pads or tampons for the forty years of her menstrual cycle, the cost easily adds up to over $2 Cheap Washington Redskins Hoodie ,400, all on products that just get thrown away.
Investing in alternative menstrual products might cost you more than a box of tampons at first, but over the years the money you keep in your pocket will add up to thousands of dollars.
Natural, Sustainable Alternatives For Your Period
Looking at the cost of conventional period products can be scary, but thankfully the world today is full of incredible alternative options that will save you money Customized Washington Redskins Jersey , keep your body safe from dangerous chemicals, and even limit the amount of garbage you send to the landfill.
Below are some of the top alternative period products on the market today and what you need to know about each one before choosing the product that鈥檚 right for you.


Reusable Pads