The other day, I was at a supermarket to buy some food in preparation for the community quarantine. After getting everything I needed (it wasn’t that much, I swear), I lined up at the checkout counter.
In front of me was a woman paying for piles of sanitary pads of different variants along with other essentials. Of course, my initial reaction was, “Why?!” It just seemed unnecessary.
However, when I got home, an important question formed inside my head:
“Can we really blame people who panic-buy period products in a time like this?”
To be fair, menstrual management can already be difficult to deal with even on a normal day. The idea of having no period products within reach during your period is really daunting.
What more when there is an emergency and you cannot easily go out and buy period products, right? Besides, menstruation is often unaddressed during disaster response.
According to ActionAid, “Conflicts and disasters can leave women and girls without access to clean and safe sanitary products. This can be due to the lack of availability of these products, or the lack of funds to buy them.”
Photo by PETER PARKS on AFP
But of course, it is also worth noting that buying period products in excessive amounts can still be bad, in the same way as hoarding other essentials is frowned upon.
As stated by David Savage, an associate professor of behavioral and microeconomics at the University of Newcastle in Australia cited in Bryan Lufkin’s BBC Worklife article about stockpiling in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, “It is rational to prepare for something bad that looks like it is likely to occur.”
However, Savage continues, “It is not rational to buy 500 cans of baked beans for what would likely be a two-week isolation period.”
Of course, while thinking about these points, I couldn’t help but feel relieved because I didn’t have to resort to panic-buying sanitary pads because of my menstrual cup. Then, it also dawned on me:
“What if more people would switch to menstrual cups?”
It sounded like a great idea since more people would be assured that they’d be fine even if their period comes during a difficult time. Indeed, it would be great if more people would have the same peace of mind that we menstrual cup users can hold on to amid COVID-19 panic.
And so, I began listing down the ways a menstrual cup could be a better period solution during a pandemic, like what we are faced with right now.
One cup is enough
As I mentioned earlier, many people, including me, are scared of having no access to proper period products when needed. It is clear that fear urges many menstruating individuals to stock up on and even hoard period products, especially during times of uncertainty.
But when you have a menstrual cup, you can simply put it on as soon as your flow begins. In fact, you can start using it before it comes. As long as the cup is kept clean and properly stored, it can be worn anytime. No need to run to the supermarket and hoard sanitary pads and tampons each time an emergency comes.
The only challenge you might encounter is washing it when you have no access to clean water to wash the menstrual cup with. But you might want to try what many of us menstrual cup users normally do. We save at least a large bottle of drinking water to make sure we’ll have something to clean our cups with, no matter what happens.
One cup is reusable for two to five years
Another thing that makes menstrual cups so appealing is their life span. Imagine, one cup can be reused for two to five years, so no need to stock up on disposable sanitary pads and tampons. That is just convenient, especially in a difficult time like this.
Besides convenience, menstrual cups will help you reduce your period waste, too. No need to use packs and packs of disposable menstrual products that are made mostly up of plastic and take hundreds of years to decompose.
Photo by Jasmin Sessler on Unsplash
Apart from this pandemic, we are also being haunted by global warming. Its threats can’t be denied anymore, and we have to do something. Although small, switching to more eco-friendly period solutions is better than not taking action at all.
A cup can be worn for up to 12 hours
One of the best things about the menstrual cup is it can be worn for up to 12 hours. I, for example, make the most of this 12-hour period, since my flow is not that heavy. That means I can sleep sound at night without having to worry about period leaks.
on my sheets, which is a huge relief.
Photo by Sylvie Tittel on Unsplash
In other words, I feel at peace knowing that I don’t have to go to the bathroom that often, which of course can be an advantage during emergencies.
It is cost-efficient
Before I started using a menstrual cup, I’d normally spend hundreds of pesos per month for disposable sanitary pads. Apart from my go-to pads, I would also shell out some extra cash to try out different pads from different brands, in the hopes of finding better products that would make menstruation more bearable for me.
Good thing, I learned about Sinaya Cup. My life has never been the same. Apart from the convenience, It has helped me save a lot of money, too. Now I am at peace because instead of spending more on disposable period products in a tough time like this, at least I have extra cash which I can use for other needs.
for other needs. Or, I can simply save it for the rainy days.
Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash
To be honest, transitioning to a menstrual cup requires a lot of patience. But with the right information and with the support of an awesome community of menstrual cup users, you can do it, too.
If you’re ready to know more about this period product, you may check out the following resources:
- How to Use a Menstrual Cup
- Determining the Right Menstrual Cup Size for You
- Frequently Asked Questions
Good luck, and I hope you make the switch soon!
But if you’re already a menstrual cup user, good for you! I know times are tough, but at least having a menstrual cup means one less thing to worry about. And, I hope you tell more people about the benefits of making the switch.
