OK, so that’s still far ahead of us.

For now, read this article about reusable cups and a healthy vagina .

And shop for a period cup online HERE.

A Menstrual Cup Means a Healthy Vagina

By Lec Watkins

A menstrual cup of any brand (keeper, mooncup, diva cup, lady cup) works on the same principle. That is that if we insert a small cup made of some non-reactive smooth material, we can manage our periods without harming the vagina.

I am sure most women do not think their vagina is at risk of harm just by using soft and cuddly tampons. Indeed most of us experience no obvious ill-effects with tampons. But, the risk of serious problems is ever-present and the small problems such as recurrent yeast infections can be traumatic if not life threatening.

Divacups - Reusable Menstrual Product

The main reasons a menstrual cup is so much better for you than a tampon, is that it is smooth, inert and will not affect the workings of your vaginal walls self cleaning mechanisms.

The rough texture of tampons means they are easily able to irritate the walls of the vagina. Particles of cotton are able to break off and cause further irritation. This means there is an increased risk of vaginitus or recurrent thrush. Menstrual cups are completely smooth, so there is no risk of any particles breaking off and irritating or causing infection.

Because all menstrual cups are made of medical grade silicon or natural latex rubber they are completely inert. The Mooncup material will not react with your body. Likewise no particles can leach into your system. Even after concerted efforts to remove the dioxin causing bleaching process from modern tampon manufacturing, tampons are still repeatedly proven to contain dioxins. Your menstrual cup will not leach out any harmful compounds into your system. The same cannot be said of a tampon.

The whole point of using tampons is that they are active products, they are stuffed full of moisture attracting chemicals. A tampon actively absorbs moisture of all kinds from your body. Okay, we want them to absorb our menstrual flow, but along with that they change the balance of ordinary moisture levels too. The vagina cleans itself through its own secretions. The tampon interferes with this process completely. Menstrual cups are a passive method of managing periods. They simply catch the period flow, on its way out of the vagina. They do not interfere with the secretions happening on the walls of the vagina and so allow the system to continue to be self cleaning. This reduces the risk of infections or irritations further.

By catching your monthly flow inside their soft silicon shell, menstrual cups keep all that blood and tissue away from you. A tampon absorbs it all but keeps it touching your vaginal walls. Obviously when all that tissue is fresh it is not a problem, but as many women leave a tampon in for eight hours or more, that is a long time for it to be breaking down and in contact with your insides.

Often, women use a higher absorbency tampon than they really need, purely to allow longer between changes. This risks more problems with your body’s natural moisture levels. A menstrual cup is never such an issue. They last a long time between changes by the nature that they are designed to hold around a quarter of a woman’s total monthly flow. You should change them every eight hours of course, but there is no temptation which could harm yourself.

Whether you use a keeper, mooncup or any other kind of menstrual cup your vagina will be a happy, healthy place.

For more information on the benefits of moon cups [http://thebestperiodcup.today.com] and a menstrual cup review visit A Self Sufficient Life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lec_Watkins http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Menstrual-Cup-Means-a-Healthy-Vagina&id=2305845

Read more about menstrual cup products on my blog.

Buy a period cup online HERE.

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups

Although there are many reusable menstrual products available on the market today – DivaCup, Mooncup, the Keeper, Lunette, and several other brands – the majority of women still are not even aware that there is an ALTERNATIVE to tampons and sanitary napkins.

I too was in that group, until a couple of years ago, when I learned about menstrual cups. I did not buy one back then (I had other things on my mind – like being pregnant and having a baby), and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I finally made the switch. I bought a Mooncup UK brand (unfortunately, the manufacturer no longer sells cups to the US due to disputes over the trade name with another period cup manufacturer).

Back then, buying menstrual cups online was your only option.  Today, period cups are available in more and more pharmacies and stores.

All I can say is “Wow!”

What a difference a Period Cup makes!

Buy menstrual cups online.

Menstrual Cup - a reusable silicone cup

So, What Exactly Is a Menstrual Cup?

A menstrual cup is form of reusable menstrual protection. It is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluids. Once in place it forms a seal, preventing blood flowing out of the vagina by collecting it in its “cup” shaped reservoir.

Unlike a tampon which absorbs the blood along with the vagina’s natural secretions, a menstrual cup simply holds the fluids until you remove it – so they do not dry out the vagina and do not hold the Toxic Shock Syndrome risk that tampons do.

Most of the period cups, including the Mooncup, Divacup, Lunette, and others, are made from medical grade silicone, is latex-free and contains no dyes, toxins or bleaches. It’s also great for women with sensitive skin.

A menstrual cup is a conical shaped cup made of flexible material, such as rubber or medical grade silicone, which is inserted into the vagina to catch menstrual blood. It is worn lower in the vaginal passage than a tampon and with only a little practice is simple to insert and remove.

Although there is a learning curve, it’s not difficult to learn how to use it. If you’re not too squeamish, you’ll find that it’s extremely empowering to take charge of that aspect of your reproductive health.

With many of us becoming aware of the effects of our lifestyles on the environment, lots of women are choosing to use menstrual cups as an alternative to standard sanitary pads and tampons.

One woman uses up to 22 items of sanitary protection every period. Regardless of your flow, you only need one menstrual cup, and it lasts for years and years, making it the most economical sanitary product for menstruation you can buy. A menstrual cup may be worn up to 12 hours without needing to be emptied and after removing and a quick wash with hot soapy water, it is ready for reuse. In between menstrual periods it is recommended that the cup be sterilized in boiling water.

Do your own calculation…Multiply the number of pads/tampons you use each month by twelve. Then, multiply that figure by 41 years – the average woman’s menstruation span. For example, let’s pick the figure of 4 tampons/pads per day, for 5 days. That’s 20 disposable products per cycle. Twelve cycles per year equals 240 tampons/pads per year. Okay, now if you menstruate for 41 years…that’s close to 10,000 tampons/pads you’ll use in your lifetime! Using a cup eliminates almost all of this waste.

That’s something you can feel good about – even when you’re crampy and grumpy!

10 AMAZING Benefits of Using a Menstrual Period Cup

The benefits of using a reusable menstrual cup are enormous, especially for the environment. Here are 9 of them, in no particular order:

1.  ECO-FRIENDLY. Just consider this: on average, one woman will use over 11,000 tampons or disposable sanitary pads in their lifetime, which will end up in landfill or in the sea.  There is no packaging waste each month and no waste sanitary products thrown into landfill as you simply wash and reuse your cup. And the products used in these cups like silicon are available in plenty, so it does not deplete any resources.

2.  COST EFFECTIVE: Consider the monthly cost of pads and tampons versus the one-time cost of a menstrual cup.

3.  EASY-TO-USE and comfortable, needs emptying only 2-4 times a day. Can be used during the night and during sports activities.

4.  EASY-TO-CLEAN. The lining of the cup is totally smooth and the tab is flat, so cleaning is extremely easy.

5.  SANITARY. Can be sterilized by placing in boiling water for 2-5 minutes.

6.  FITS ALL WOMEN. Available in different sizes and can be used by all menstruating women, with the exception of  post-natal bleeding due to the risk of inflammation.  Can be used before first sexual intercourse and also with an IUD and contraceptive ring.

7.  IMPROVED PERIODS. Many women (including me) find heavy flow and even cramping are reduced when they switch to a menstrual cup.

8.  COMFORTABLE. Once you insert it, you won’t even notice it’s there. They do not make you feel damp or uncomfortable as it is worn within the body. The cups can hold more than tampons and result in less inconvenience.  Plus, it does not dry the vaginal mucus membrane.

9.  SAFE. FDA approved. No outbreaks of vaginal candidasis, cystitis or toxic shock syndrome have been linked to the use of menstrual cups.

10. CONVENIENT during travel. Since you are using the menstrual cup, you just need to carry one single cup rather than going for all the stock of your sanitary pads. This makes traveling more comfortable without any tensions of throwing the waste or washing of the cloth.

In my humble opinion, menstrual cups is the best thing that ever happened to feminine hygiene products. They are comfortable, clean, easy to use, great for any kind of physical activity such as riding a bike, running, swimming, and snowboarding–you’ll completely forget it’s there.

When you do it for the first time, it may take a couple of attempts to insert the cup and then take it out. It may look like a challenge at first. However, once you try it once or twice, it’s really not much more difficult than inserting or removing a tampon. If you are having any difficulty and just don’t seem to get it right, read manufacturers instructions, or ask more experienced users a question at one of the forums.

Give it a try, and you may never go back to tampons and pads again.

Buy a period cup online HERE.

Menstrual Cup - a reusable silicone cup

Menstrual Cup Brand Comparisons

Buy a period cup online HERE.

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups

Read more about menstrual cup products on my blog.

The fact is that toxic shock syndrome is extremely rare, so I don’t want you to be scared when you find yourself during your menstrual period with nothing else to use but tampons.

That is not my point.

But still, the truth remains that TSS happens, and all women should be aware of the risk of using tampons, especially, since there are many safe and convenient alternatives – namely, menstrual cups.

So read the article, and decide for yourself!

And shop for menstrual cups HERE

What Women Need Now!

By C. Manuel Grace

We will begin the the year 1975, though it started eons ago. There were five major tampon manufactures spending millions of dollars on advertising each year. Their key words were comfort and security. Still companies failed to improve on the quality of their product with the old cardboard tampon design, though some offered plastic tube applications as an alternative.

Tampax’s vulnerable point was security. Women could try the utmost care, but there were those humiliating occasions when the old tampon failed to do its job. I have witnessed this event at a clinic when a woman was waiting in line to see a doctor. Blood had seeped through her cotton sweat-pant. A lady mentioned the stain on her garment. The women immediately covered it with her jacket wrapping the sleeves around her waist.

These new products were allowed on the market without any demonstration prior the plastic insert designs or the proof of safe way for either the plastic insert designs or the perfumes.

Let us jump to 1980: The news coverage was horrific, “Teenager dies of tampon use. Details at eleven!” “Toxic Shock Syndrome Survivor tells her story tonight on eyewitness News.” “Centers for disease control warning women to beware of tampons. Stay tune for more!”

Most American women reacted with a sense of helplessness: how could something which had become such an essential part of a women’s life turn out to be potentially deadly. The CDC thought most of the female TSS cases involved super absorbent tampons. By 1994 Toxic Shock Syndrome was an enduring addition to the list of human pathogens, and though it is no longer attracting law suits and front page news, the novel S. Aureus strain was causing nearly as many infections, ailments, and deaths in the 1900s as it had in 1983.

Though tampon boxes were covered with a variety of warnings, menstruating women continued to come down with TSS, practically with those who used super absorbent products. What occurs with the traditional feminine hygiene products?

1) The synthetic materials are known to advance toxic shock Syndrome (TSS) in young femals not having time to develop necessary antibodies.

2) When chlorine is used in the bleaching process it will release dioxin, a carcinogen into a women’s vagina and uterus. These dangers were known years ago. No product since 1980 and before had a standard for absorbency. The TSS symptoms incur a 2-to-3 day period of mild symptoms before the disease develops. These mild symptoms may include low grade fever, chills, muscle aches, rash, redness in the sensitive areas, nausea, abdominal pain, confusion, and low blood pressure just to name a few maladies.

Now men should know why at many times it is difficult to deal with their better significant other. Most TSS cases in the United States are not reported. It could cost the states to report to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention much expense, gathering the data and submitting it to the CDC.

In February, 1999 USA Today article “The CDC estimates that 1300 people get toxic shock syndrome annually. Half are related to tampons; 5% die” This information has been suppressed and not linked directly to their products. Its all about the money. There are only a few independent studies.

One study of two New York University medical center researchers, Dr. Philip Tiemo and Dr.Bruce Hanna, tested tampons. Their 1999 article in E Magazine, “concluded that tampons containing synthetics amplify the production of the TSS — causing toxin by certain strains of bacteria, whereas the all-cotton tampons produced no measurable toxin.” Dr. Tiemo is quoted in the same article saying, “Synthetic tampons absorb more water than [does] cotton, leaving concentrated proteins, that are used by staph bacteria to create the toxin, creating toxin factories.”

Dangers of Dioxin

Dioxin is a term used to describe a group of hundreds of chemicals that surround our environment like smog. Dioxin forms into unintentional by-product of many industrial processes which contain chlorine such as waste incineration. Yes. dioxin can cause cancer. The EPA report confirmed Dioxin as a cancer hazard to people. The International agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) a part of the world Health Organization published their research on dioxins and reported in February 14,1997 dioxin is considered a Group1 carcinogen a “known carcinogen”.

Now there is a product that saves lives. It is from Winalite. It doses all the needed and necessary job to make a women feel safe and secure in any given situation.

Stay tuned to the next installment, “Menstruation is not a Natural Occurrence”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C._Manuel_Grace http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Women-Need-Now!&id=2629559

Read what FDA has to say about that. Whether these allegations about dioxins and TSS are true or not, one way to prevent the occurence of toxic shock syndrome is to STOP USING TAMPONS altogether. Read more about safe, eco-friendly and convenient alternatives to tampons on my Menstrual Period Cup blog.

Shop for menstrual cups HERE.

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