Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene

This page focuses on feminine hygiene and highlights the need to switch to planet-friendly and healthier options to manage the monthly periods of all menstruators.

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Disposable Menstrual Hygiene Products

Disposable sanitary pad is a popular period care product - majority women in the urban areas and more than half the women in rural areas use them. Though convenient to use, they pose a number of environmental and health issues.

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Health

Harsh chemicals used in the pad cause a lot of short-term and long-term health issues like RASHES, Hormonal Imbalance, PCOS/Hypothyroidism, Infertility, Cervical Cancer.

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Drain Blockage

Super-absorbant gels in the pad absorb drain water when flushed, the pad swells and blocks drains.

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Waste Forever

Each pad takes 500 years to decompose - pollutes soil, ground water and air.

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Period Poverty

Need for spending money on disposable pads is causing period poverty the world over.

Sustainable Solutions

Menstrual Cups

A menstrual cup is a re-usable period care product that is made from medical-grade silicone. It is inserted into the vaginal canal to collect menstrual discharge and periodically emptied. One cup can be re-used for at least ten years and it saves thousands of disposable sanitary napkins from going to the landfill. It is very comfortable and women using it vouch for the liberating period experience!

How to use the Menstrual Cup

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Fold the cup

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Insert it into your vagina

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It forms a seal & collects the blood

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To remove, pinch base & pull

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Empty the cup & reinsert

Cloth Pads

Cloth pads are the new avatar of the age-old menstrual cloth that has been used to manage menstruation since the olden days. They have multiple layers of high-absorbent cotton fabric, a leak-proof layer, wings with buttons and come in vibrant colours and patterns. They are machine-washable. Each set of cloth pads lasts 3 to 4 years.

How to use the Cloth Pad

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Use buttons to fasten pad to the underwear

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Wash in cold water

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Hang-dry in sunlight

Girls of the new world choose cloth pads

Cloth pad revolution by EcoFemme

Comparison of Disposable pads, Cup and Cloth Pads

Where to Buy Menstrual Cups / Cloth Pads

Online

amazon.in, nykaa.com, shycart.com, stonesoup.in, ecofemme.org, boondh.co

App

bigbasket, blinkit

Offline

Health and Glow, select organic stores, sustainable markets

Saahas Initiatives

Cycle of Change

Cycle of Change is a Saahas project based in Hyderabad city. This is a special project where the focus is to create awareness on exclusively on sustainable menstrual hygiene and increase adoption of sustainable period care products. The target of the project is to hand hold selected 1000 menstruators on their journey towards sustainable options.

All Projects

Awareness about sustainable menstrual hygiene is an integral part of our project activities. We have trained team members in our project teams as well as external resource persons, who take these sessions.

See What Others Are Saying

Videos in Regional Languages

FAQ

These are some of the things to consider when buying a cup –

  • Size: teenagers – small; adults – Medium
  • Hardness: not sexually active – soft cup; heavy bleeding and high physical activity and sexually active: hard cup; all others (90% women fall in this category) regular cup
  • support: we recommend that you go for a cup that is made in india, so that you get adequate support on your cup-journey
  • price range: Don’t buy cups that are very cheap, they are often cheap copies of known brands, may not be medical grade silicon. buy mid-range cups costing Rs 300 to 1200 

Stem/ring/knob : the entire cup (along with the full stem) needs to be inside the vaginal canal. If a bit of the stem or ring is jutting out, it will hurt when walking. Hence it is recommended to go for a cup with a tiny knob or nothing at all. Menstrual Cups: The Story of Stem

It is normal to be scared. But rest assured, the cup will not get lost inside. There is a maximum 3 inches space for the cup, beyond that the cup can not go. Tips for inserting initial times:

  • ⁠  ⁠⁠use punch-down fold
  • ⁠  ⁠apply coconut oil or lubricant to the lips of the cup for easy insertion 
  • ⁠  ⁠insert horizontal (not vertical) 
  • ⁠  very important to relax. Best time to try is after a warm water bath or after an evening stroll
  • ⁠  ⁠best positions are squatting, half-squatting (sitting in air)

No. The Cup is to be inserted into the vagina. Vaginal opening is in between urethra (urine opening) and anus (opening for stool). Hence the cup does not block the urine opening. Refer pic below –

Relax, the cup has not got lost inside. All you have to do is bear down the cup like you would when you are constipated – the cup will come down and you will be able to reach it.

Do not pull the cup with the stem or ring. Since there is an airlock, pulling it will only hurt. Use the stem to locate the base of the cup, pinch the cup to release the airlock, tilt and then pull it out.

Things to try if you cup is leaking –

  • Cup is full and it needs to be emptied
  • Cup has not been inserted fully. Push the cup in further so that there is space for the cup to open
  • Cup is inside, but not opened. Rotate the cup gently so that it opens up
  • Take the cup out and try a different fold when inserting or change the way you hold the cup while inserting
  • If constipated, there isn’t enough space for the cup to open up. Try relieving yourself

When inserted correctly, one should not feel the cup at all. If it is hurting, it means the cup has not been inserted fully. Push it further inside. Ensure good lubrication with water or coconut oil while inserting. If it is still hurting, give it a break and try again the next day.

This is variable and depends on your flow. You need to empty the cup at least every 12 hours. So, during the first use, it is good to check every 4 to 6 hours, learn how much the flow is and accordingly get to know how often the cup should be emptied.

Yes, but they might find it difficult to insert as the vaginal muscles are tight. Lubrication and guidance from an adult who is a cup-user might go a long way to ensure the adoption is smooth.

Yes. Just ensure you can feel the IUD thread after every period (feels like a toothbrush bristle). Refer attached pic to understand where the cup & IUD sit.

If you maintain proper hygiene, sterilization is not needed. However, for your satisfaction, you can sterilize it once before you start to use the cup at the onset of periods. During periods, you can use clean water to wash the cup. There is no need to even use soap as it may have harmful chemicals and any residue post-use may lead to infection. If you want to use soap, ensure it is a chemical-free and mild soap

Do ensure you dry your cup well after you wash it and store it in a breathable cotton pouch (it is usually provided with the product) at the end of your period cycle.

No

Post-delivery the vagina is stressed and bruised. It is not advisable to use the cup for postpartum bleeding.

When cloth pads are washed well, dried well (preferable in direct sunlight) and stored properly, they are perfectly hygienic

Soaking used pads in cold water prior to washing ensures pads remain stain free.

Typically a set of 8 to 12 cloth pads is sufficient for someone with regular flow.

Yes, Cloth pads can be used for light incontinence.