Every day, over $300 million women worldwide experience their periods globally. Despite this, the rising costs associated with period-related products persist. cotton pads for periods aren’t solely financial, despite period equitable being a significant problem left untreated in the US, but include environmental, health, and legal costs.

While single-use disposable products such as pads or tampons dominate the global marketplace, reusable items like Cups (inserted into the vagina for collecting blood) and Period Panties (absorbent underwear) are gradually gaining traction. Previously, my company conducted an eye-opener study of product information regarding cost, health, safety, comfort, satisfaction, and ecological impacts within the U.S.

How many do you need to use period items? What is the estimated price of a period product?

Scotland becomes the initial country with free Period Products for those who require them. In the US, pads are currently priced the lowest upfront while tampons are the next most expensive, despite increasing by nearly 10% in a year. Reusable period cups or period pantries are generally higher priced to begin with. Around a calendar year, cups start to provide cost savings.

There are some factors that are important to take into consideration when comparing reusables.

You may require trying out multiple period cups to determine your preferred fit, or simply prefer having them on-hand. Savings increase the further your cycle cup is used, which can range from between two and 10 with proper care.

Period panties possess a contrasting absorbency, thus you may decide to alternate menstrual products according to the periods you experience. For instance, you may choose to utilize period panties on bright days or combine them with a tampon or cup on more severe days. Additionally, they may also serve other purposes, like reducing discharge and mild urinariness.

Health and safety concerns associated with using period products.

Long-term use of dioxins, also known as dioxins, can lead to cancers as well as other diseases. Dioxins may be formed when whitening pulps and papers that are intended for period pads. Many people haven’t been subjected to levels that pose a risk for health harm.

Over time, manufacturers have changed the bleach process used to eliminate dioxins from these items. Dioxins in tampon are significantly below FDA levels and are significantly reduced compared to exposure from food. Period cups are typically crafted from medical-grade silicone and thus do not carry dioxins, while period pantries should also be checked for PFAS-free.

The risk for some of period boxes is also associated with toxic stress syndrome (TSS), a life-limiting illness caused by a toxine produced by some bacteria. TSS is reported to affect approximately 1 out of 100,000 menstruated women in America. Reports associated with TSS during period use have become increasingly rare. It has been welcomed with high-absorbent tampon usage.

Due primarily to the changes occurring in the manufacturing of tampons, instances of TSS are decreasing. Avoid lingering TSS risk by refraining from remaining in tampon for over eight hours or in the period cup for over 12hours. Regardless of your flow, you might have to change it earlier to Avoid Leakage.

Comfort and satisfaction associated with using period ointments.

Generally speaking, most people can comfortably utilize tampons and cups, irrespective of their virginity. Some individuals prefer to avoid the insertion of anything within the vain, for which pads and period panties are best. There is no shortage of options available for underwired menstrual panties that range in colors, cut, absorbency, and style- from thigh-high to leg-high. They may require some getting used to.

Period cups may require some time to adjust to. A study conducted in a small, randomized manner concluded that satisfaction with period products decreased after just the initial month versus tampon usage, only to increase progressively in months 2 and 3.

The environmental impacts associated with period product use are discussed.

The life cycle assessment of products can provide estimates of how much impact a certain product will have on the environment. This study focuses on estimating its environmental footprint, spanning from the natural resources used to the greenhouse gases emitted — which are the main contributors to both global climate warming and climate changes. The overall impact of disposable tampons and pads is significantly greater than those of re-usable menstrual cups due to raw material, manufacturing process, and waste disposal.