5 ms·
Thanks for asking! When you are a young woman just getting your period, it's confusing and messy. Society doesn't help in that it's also taboo. There is a lot
by telesilla 8y ago
Thanks for asking!
When you are a young woman just getting your period, it's confusing and messy. Society doesn't help in that it's also taboo. There is a lot of fear and worry involved with having your period that lasts for many women through their lives. I have friends who won't use a tampon that doesn't include the applicator [1] (it helps insertion without needing to get your hands dirty). So using a cup means, you are 100% going to get blood on your hands and you are going to be very intimate with the inside of your body. For many women who were brought up conservatively, and for those who remain conservative, this will never be an option. I try and promote the cup among my friends and encourage young girls to experiment in safety. Long-term, it will become more popular.
There is also the issue of needing clean running water or wet wipes. Hygiene is crucial in cleaning the cup between changes and of course, you need to be able to clean your hands and have running water to deposit the menstrual liquid [2]. I'm not sure how this would work with a non-flushing / compost toilet actually, I found this article [3] which concludes that of course, blood is good for compost. I don't know what the sanitary conditions are in the kind of home these girls live in, in Kenya.
[1] http://becomingagirl.weebly.com/applicator-tampons.html http://becomingagirl.weebly.com/applicator-tampons.html
[2] https://store.lunette.com/blogs/news/how-to-clean-menstrual-cup-in-public-toilet https://store.lunette.com/blogs/news/how-to-clean-menstrual-...
[3] http://minimotives.com/2016/11/10/periods-composting-toilet/ http://minimotives.com/2016/11/10/periods-composting-toilet/
- kaybe 8y agoWhile blood might be good for compost that also sounds like a prime method to distribute germs and viruses. Seems dangerous.
- telesilla 8y agoA compost toilet is an aerobic environment composed largely of sawdust, human waste and sometimes earth that is decomposed by bacteria and fungi. Properly managed, it's perfectly safe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet
- 24gttghh 8y agoYou still don't necessarily want to/can't use composted human waste for growing food for human consumption, because many jurisdictions regulate their application in different areas of agriculture. e.g.: Virginia: "All materials removed from a composting privy shall be buried," and "compost material shall not be placed in vegetable gardens or on the ground surface.[0] Rhode Island: "Solids produced by alternative toilets may be buried on site," while, "residuals shall not be applied to food crops.[1] I'm all for doing it regardless, as it seems more sustainable than traditional sewage treatment! [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet#cite_note-26 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet#cite_note-26 [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet#cite_note-25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet#cite_note-25
- smileysteve 8y agoBlood and Waste both carry similar risk and hopefully anyone using a composting toilet are aware of the needs to properly bake off organisms.