Solutions for an Often Difficult Time for Women
By: Beverly Whipple, PhD, RN, FAAN

Most people call a woman’s menstruation, the menstrual period. Some call it the curse. Cultural, religious and personal attitudes and values about menstruation affect each society’s attitudes toward women and each woman’s attitude toward her own menstruation.  Some cultures isolate women during their menstrual periods and some cultures think women have supernatural powers during this time. In the past these powers were sometimes seen as good, but more often they were feared to be destructive.
Most women will experience a menstrual period approximately every 28 days from around age 12 to age 50. How a woman feels about and responds to her menstrual period will have an impact on her life and the life of those around her.  Let’s look at what happens to most women during these approximately 38 years.

Menstruation usually begins in girls around age 12, but varies from 9-18 years of age.  Menstruation and ovulation continue until around age 50 on average, but any time between ages 40 and 55 is normal. One year after menstrual periods have stopped is considered menopause.

At birth the ovaries contain about a million follicles, with an immature egg in the center. At puberty there are around 400,000 follicles. About 300-500 of the follicles will develop into mature eggs across the reproductive life span. At ovulation, the midpoint of the cycle, the follicle and the ovarian surface open, allowing the egg to float out.  Some women feel a twinge or cramp at this time.  After ovulation, if no pregnancy occurs, the follicle is reabsorbed and the uterine lining builds up. The lining of the uterus builds up tissues and blood and this is what is shed during the menstrual period. This occurs on the average of every 28 days in most women. The amount of menstrual secretions is often overestimated.  It is on the average about 30-40 cc’s over an average of 4-6 days.

Menstruation is a normal, healthy occurrence for many years of a woman’s life. Yet, many women, across a range of very different cultures, experience menstrual problems that range from embarrassment to mild discomfort.  How women deal with their menstrual flow also varies.

Types of Products:
Women have three types of products to choose from, pads, tampons and the Softcup. One is worn externally (the pad) and two are worn internally (the tampon and the Softcup). Two products absorb the menstrual fluid (the pad and the tampon) and one collects the fluid (the Softcup).

Women in different cultures handle their menstrual flow in many ways.  Since the earliest times, women have made pads and tampons from available materials, often washing and reusing special cloths or rags.  Today some women make them from cotton balls, gauze or flannel.  Most women use commercial menstrual pads and tampons, most of which are made of rayon and cotton blends.  A new alternative product, available and used in the United States for the past 10 years, is the Softcup.
 There are some concerns with the various products. Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but life-threatening blood infection, which has been linked to the use of tampons, especially to high-absorbency tampons made with rayon and other synthetic ingredients.  To avoid toxic shock, a woman should not use tampons between her periods, not use the more absorbent ones and not use them at night.

Another concern with the current menstrual products is dioxin residue.  Most commercial pads and tampons are bleached with chlorine to make them whiter, and in the case of rayon, more absorbent. Chlorine leaves residues of dioxin in the tampons and pads, as well as in the environment.  Dioxin is a harmful chemical that has been implicated in cancer and other health problems. In addition, most cotton production involves large amounts of pesticides, traces of which may remain in tampons and pads made from cotton.  Dioxin and pesticide residues can be of concern in menstrual products because the vaginal lining is much more absorbent than skin and because women wear tampons and pads for hours at a time.

An alternative product, the Softcup is the first major feminine hygiene product that has been introduced since the tampon was introduced about 70 years ago. It offers new levels of lifestyle freedom, safety and a host of proven benefits and conveniences over traditional female hygiene products.

This product is a unique, proven advancement in menstrual protection, offering women increased protection and ease of use during their periods. Cleared by the FDA in the USA, the Softcup is made entirely of hypoallergenic, non-toxic, non-irritating, non-absorbent and non-Latex materials that have been used for more than 20 years in the health care profession.  Because of its patented design and material used, Softcup has never received a reported incidence of Toxic Shock Syndrome. It does not absorb women’s natural fluids, so it does not cause dryness or irritation. No bleaches are used and it does not irritate the vaginal lining. The Sofcup can be worn for 12 hours, about twice the time the tampon can be used.

Softcups have been found to be especially beneficial for female athletes and active women, as well as those women with professional and personal responsibilities such long meetings, childcare, travel etc., as the Softcup holds at least twice as much menstrual fluid as a tampon. This allows some women to wear it for twice as long as a tampon between changes on heavy flow days. And because it is positioned entirely internally, it can be worn during all types of physical activities (including swimming, biking, skiing, jogging, sailing, tennis, golf) without revealing any trace of menstrual protection.  When the Softcup is properly inserted, it is not detectable and prevents the malodor often associated with menstrual fluid exposed to air.

During sleep
One the most important aspects of the Softcup is that its greater capacity and safety and the fact that the rim softens in response to body temperature, creates a seal to protect against leakage and slipping.  The Softcup is inserted into the vagina and it covers the cervix.  This makes it an ideal nighttime solution because the woman has freedom of movement and does not have to keep wake worrying about leakage.

Need for information
Women need to understand their bodies and their normal bodily functions. They also need to have information about how to deal with their menstrual flow.  When women have information about their body and the options that are available to them, they can make informed decisions to help keep them healthy and happy.

Beverly Whipple, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor Emerita, Rutgers University