6 ms·

But aren't Sanitary Pads worse in most ways than Menstrual cups? Lower cost overtime Less trash waste

cbhl 11y ago
Are menstrual cups socially acceptable in India? You need to be able to empty them and then wash them in a sink. From the article: > There are still many taboos around menstruation in India. Women can't visit temples or public places, they're not allowed to cook or touch the water supply - essentially they are considered untouchable.
- knicholes 11y ago
  Carry around an extra cup, empty current one into a toilet and place in a bag in your purse to wash later at home. The only time I know a woman is menstruating here in the US is when they tell me.
  - r00fus 11y ago
    > The only time I know a woman is menstruating here in the US is when they tell me. You and me. I did know a few people who told me they can smell menstruating women... I simply didn't ask how that's possible.
  - goodJobWalrus 11y ago
    Would you carry an extra cup of your own blood, mucus, tissue pieces, piss and bacteria in your purse, though?
  - chongli 11y ago
    Emptying into a toilet is not easy to do when you live in a remote village and have to walk several miles to fetch the day's water from a well. Any product that's low on water use is going to be highly preferable for these women.
  - kidsthesedays 11y ago
    Its not critical to clean the cup because you emptied it. http://divacup.com/how-it-works/care-and-cleaning/ http://divacup.com/how-it-works/care-and-cleaning/ "Remember to empty and wash your DivaCup at least twice a day, a minimum of every 12 hours. If you are unable to wash The DivaCup after removal (for instance when using a public restroom), wash your hands thoroughly before entering the stall, empty the contents in the toilet and simply use a dry or damp tissue to clean the cup. At the next convenient time, clean as per the above instructions." As far as how it would work in rural India, dunno, as long as you have regular access to soap and portable water.
  - tigroferoce 11y ago
    Am I wrong or you are a western male that is speculating about issues of indian women? I think these problems are so far away from my (perhaps also yours?) understanding (gender + cultural gaps) that I could not suggest any solution. Especially after a couple of minutes thinking. This guy spent years into finding a solution, almost lost all he had and improved lives of many (both from sanitary and economics points of view). And he didn't this because he wanted to create the next unicorn. He deserves all our esteem and he certainly has mine.
    - knicholes 11y ago
      I'm not trying to downplay his contributions and tenacity. His work is truly impressive. I am an American male speculating. I think both his and my solutions are better than plugging oneself up with sawdust and leaves. I wouldn't expect this man to know about these cups or women in rural India to have convenient access to not only the cups but also to plastic bags, clean water, and soap. For those who do, however, my solution is lasting, secretive, and feasible.
- rck404 11y ago
  That's partly true. Women visiting temples is a very old obsolete tradition which was before pads,etc for sanitary needs in the temple which needs to be scrapped off. All the remaining taboos are mostly non-existent.No one I know off does them. It's possible there are cases but, really rare (1 of 500). I had to clarify that because BBC takes liberties when trying to describe stuff from developing nations.
  - adrianN 11y ago
    Do you live in rural India? If you have access to the Internet, you might not be representative of the target population.
    - andrewvijay 11y ago
      ha ha good question! Its still a taboo that is being followed by many villagers. A lot of societies keep women's rights at the lowest priority. So many people living in the cities often deny that these things exist whereas the majority in our country are actually rural and poor. The taboos are being very slowly weeded out at the moment. Needs a huge push from the govt for educating the people about it.
goodJobWalrus 11y ago
Would you use a menstrual cup, if you menstruated, Steve? If other women are anything like me, that thing will remain a very niche product.
- erikpukinskis 11y ago
  Some women are similar to you and some are different. I know lots of women who swear by their menstrual cups.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- smileysteve 11y ago
  I know that adoption is still low, but I do not know why, can you provide me more perspective? My knowledge is based mostly on the diva cup ads that pop up here.
  - deelowe 11y ago
    I imagine it's pretty damn gross, but I'm a dude and the process is pretty damn gross to me.
    - kidsthesedays 11y ago
      I'm a menstrual cup user. It's not gross cause you're gonna be dealing with those body fluids one way or another.
    - irpapakons 11y ago
      It's not gross, if anything it's much less messy than pads. Menstrual cups are awesome.
- smileysteve 11y ago
  I don't know the con perspective, but I think it's important to point out, especially in the context of the article citing culture stigmas, the tampon was initially niche and the "original" invention first stalled.
telesilla 11y ago
You need clean water every time you empty this, which can be anything from every 2 hours to every 8. It's not really suitable when you are not sure if you are a) privacy and b) clean water. Pads should be biodegradable and tampons should ONLY use biodegradable plastic - that's the main issue these days. Same for men using disposable razors: if you won't use a straight blade, would you lobby for the plastic to be biodegradable?

cbhl 11y ago

Are menstrual cups socially acceptable in India? You need to be able to empty them and then wash them in a sink. From the article: > There are still many taboos around menstruation in India. Women can't visit temples or public places, they're not allowed to cook or touch the water supply - essentially they are considered untouchable.

knicholes 11y ago
Carry around an extra cup, empty current one into a toilet and place in a bag in your purse to wash later at home. The only time I know a woman is menstruating here in the US is when they tell me.
- r00fus 11y ago
  > The only time I know a woman is menstruating here in the US is when they tell me. You and me. I did know a few people who told me they can smell menstruating women... I simply didn't ask how that's possible.
- goodJobWalrus 11y ago
  Would you carry an extra cup of your own blood, mucus, tissue pieces, piss and bacteria in your purse, though?
- chongli 11y ago
  Emptying into a toilet is not easy to do when you live in a remote village and have to walk several miles to fetch the day's water from a well. Any product that's low on water use is going to be highly preferable for these women.
- kidsthesedays 11y ago
  Its not critical to clean the cup because you emptied it. http://divacup.com/how-it-works/care-and-cleaning/ http://divacup.com/how-it-works/care-and-cleaning/ "Remember to empty and wash your DivaCup at least twice a day, a minimum of every 12 hours. If you are unable to wash The DivaCup after removal (for instance when using a public restroom), wash your hands thoroughly before entering the stall, empty the contents in the toilet and simply use a dry or damp tissue to clean the cup. At the next convenient time, clean as per the above instructions." As far as how it would work in rural India, dunno, as long as you have regular access to soap and portable water.
- tigroferoce 11y ago
  Am I wrong or you are a western male that is speculating about issues of indian women? I think these problems are so far away from my (perhaps also yours?) understanding (gender + cultural gaps) that I could not suggest any solution. Especially after a couple of minutes thinking. This guy spent years into finding a solution, almost lost all he had and improved lives of many (both from sanitary and economics points of view). And he didn't this because he wanted to create the next unicorn. He deserves all our esteem and he certainly has mine.
  - knicholes 11y ago
    I'm not trying to downplay his contributions and tenacity. His work is truly impressive. I am an American male speculating. I think both his and my solutions are better than plugging oneself up with sawdust and leaves. I wouldn't expect this man to know about these cups or women in rural India to have convenient access to not only the cups but also to plastic bags, clean water, and soap. For those who do, however, my solution is lasting, secretive, and feasible.
rck404 11y ago
That's partly true. Women visiting temples is a very old obsolete tradition which was before pads,etc for sanitary needs in the temple which needs to be scrapped off. All the remaining taboos are mostly non-existent.No one I know off does them. It's possible there are cases but, really rare (1 of 500). I had to clarify that because BBC takes liberties when trying to describe stuff from developing nations.
- adrianN 11y ago
  Do you live in rural India? If you have access to the Internet, you might not be representative of the target population.
  - andrewvijay 11y ago
    ha ha good question! Its still a taboo that is being followed by many villagers. A lot of societies keep women's rights at the lowest priority. So many people living in the cities often deny that these things exist whereas the majority in our country are actually rural and poor. The taboos are being very slowly weeded out at the moment. Needs a huge push from the govt for educating the people about it.

goodJobWalrus 11y ago

Would you use a menstrual cup, if you menstruated, Steve? If other women are anything like me, that thing will remain a very niche product.

erikpukinskis 11y ago
Some women are similar to you and some are different. I know lots of women who swear by their menstrual cups.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
smileysteve 11y ago
I know that adoption is still low, but I do not know why, can you provide me more perspective? My knowledge is based mostly on the diva cup ads that pop up here.
- deelowe 11y ago
  I imagine it's pretty damn gross, but I'm a dude and the process is pretty damn gross to me.
  - kidsthesedays 11y ago
    I'm a menstrual cup user. It's not gross cause you're gonna be dealing with those body fluids one way or another.
  - irpapakons 11y ago
    It's not gross, if anything it's much less messy than pads. Menstrual cups are awesome.
smileysteve 11y ago
I don't know the con perspective, but I think it's important to point out, especially in the context of the article citing culture stigmas, the tampon was initially niche and the "original" invention first stalled.

telesilla 11y ago

You need clean water every time you empty this, which can be anything from every 2 hours to every 8. It's not really suitable when you are not sure if you are a) privacy and b) clean water. Pads should be biodegradable and tampons should ONLY use biodegradable plastic - that's the main issue these days. Same for men using disposable razors: if you won't use a straight blade, would you lobby for the plastic to be biodegradable?