Letter Re: Ladies’ Supplies for Preparedness

Mr. Rawles,
I’m a woman, and you know what that means – if I’m not currently pregnant, I’m going to bleed once a month.

I know, you’re a guy, maybe you haven’t thought of this – but disposable menstrual products can be scary expensive. It can also be hard to discreetly dispose of them while moving fast, and they’ve got to be changed fairly often if you’re a heavy bleeder.

It might be a good idea for women concerned about the future to invest in some form of reusable menstrual protection. I’m thinking specifically of a cup, such as DivaCup or the Keeper, They can be worn for some ten hours, they last seven to ten years at a stretch, they make no waste, they don’t clog your toilet, and they pose little to no risk of toxic shock syndrome. The price can be steep, but trust me – after a year, that $35 investment has paid for itself. They can be sterilized by a quick boil. OBTW, if anybody is interested in getting a DivaCup, they should probably pick one up while they’re being sold half-price.

There are other options, such as sea sponges (which last six months to a year) or cloth pads – and if anybody is going to go that route, I strongly suggest they just invest in some cloth pads now. Modern pads are often made of harder-to-find absorbent fabrics such as bamboo or hemp, instead of many more layers of torn apart rags, which can make them more effective than just ripping up old clothes. Purchasing the raw fabric and snaps is cheaper, of course.

Even if somebody only buys a reusable option to be used as a last resort, if they literally cannot find the products they are used to, it may turn out to be money well spent. – Connie

JWR Replies: Thanks for your e-mail. It meshes nicely with a previous letter on the same subject by Kitiara–who BTW writes/edits the very entertaining KiloIndiaTango blog (previously called “Forever Vain”.) Also BTW, Kit recently posted her review of “I Am Legend.”