Tampons are Tools of Patriarchy

[IrishRose]

I have vulvadynia. No tampons for me...they hurt!

[OkToBeTakei]

Even clean bodies have a natural scent. It's when the scent is malodorous that there's a problem. A woman should not smell like yeast, fish or rancid sweat. Those indicate infections or hygiene issues. A natural smell is not stinky and it's almost never strong enough for anyone else to notice (unless their face is in that general vicinity).

Exactly.

You forgot cheese though :lol:

I admit I do the sniff knicker test at the end of the day, I'm a bit weird that way.

[salsa]

Glad my Aunt Flo has stopped visiting. I couldn't bear the guilt of knowing that I was acquiescing to patriarchy by wearing tampons.

[AllisonWndrland]

They would have done better to attack the companies and advertising folks who tell us/make money off of "feminine hygiene" washes/sprays/douches that have no real use (and in some cases can harm) while sending the message that women parts are somehow naturally smelly and need deodorizing with special products.

Fact. The commercial featuring a woman standing slightly apart from other women because she has "feminine odor" is especially angering for me. WTF? Because when I'm around other women all I do is talk shit on someone else's feminine odor? I'm not saying that there isn't someone out there who truly has the fear that other women are whispering about their vagina, but seriously? I have never once stood around with friends and talked about another woman's odor problems. Tampons are the least of our worries when it comes to items marketed around our periods or our vaginas.

[alchemy]

Fact. The commercial featuring a woman standing slightly apart from other women because she has "feminine odor" is especially angering for me. WTF? Because when I'm around other women all I do is talk shit on someone else's feminine odor? I'm not saying that there isn't someone out there who truly has the fear that other women are whispering about their vagina, but seriously? I have never once stood around with friends and talked about another woman's odor problems. Tampons are the least of our worries when it comes to items marketed around our periods or our vaginas.

Are you talking about the woman in the gray hoodie, all bundled up and shrinking away from all public contact? Those commercials are insane. Like you're a pariah if your vagina doesn't smell like flowers.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Also watch out for scented tampons and scented pads and liners. They try to sneak perfume into everything!

[lizziesmom]

So glad I am in menopause and don't have to deal with any of this!

[RainbowSky]

Also watch out for scented tampons and scented pads and liners. They try to sneak perfume into everything!

And smell like shit!

Well...not literally, but they do smell nasty. I accidentally got some once and my bf DID smell those because my hands smelled like them. At least I hope it was just my hands he smelled. We had non scented soap and.... :ew:

When I've bought them since, I've been way more careful!

And I loved my MoonCup (uk version) better than my Diva but it got lost in a move and I haven't been able to get another yet. I've taken a much better liking to my Diva since being stuck with it lol.

[Khiwanean]

This is not to try to discourage anyone from trying the diva cup, because I know a lot of women swear by it, but this was my experience: it was sold to me as being cleaner, easier, and more comfortable than pads. Instead, it was awkward and messy to put in, I could feel it while it was inserted, and it was awkward, messy, and painful to take out. I was really excited about the idea before I used it, so I was disappointed when it didn't work out. I got lots of advice on how to make it work, but I was not willing to commit to spending so much time and effort getting it right when pads, for me, were faster, easier, cleaner, and more comfortable.

I'm sharing my experience because when I was researching the cup all I saw were glowing reviews, and I think it's important to share the negative side as well. I'm thrilled that the cup works for so many women, but I'm thrilled for myself that pads work so well for me. ;)

Cleaner and more comfortable I could see, but I don't know if I'd ever tell anyone it was easier, even though I love my Diva cup! :D You don't have to worry about cleaning disposable pads. I would say though, that the Diva is probably more likely to be uncomfortable, awkward or painful for more women than the vast majority other cups. It is one of the - if not the - biggest cup available on the market today. Cups definitely have a learning curve and aren't for everyone.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

I will preface this by saying that I went to one of the crunchiest colleges that ever did crunch, but one of my best friends there received a Diva Cup from her boyfriend for Valentine's Day one year. (And was thrilled!)

[Rachel333]

I thought cups were about equal with reusable hemp pads for crunchy-approved menstrual products. :lol:

[alchemy]

I will preface this by saying that I went to one of the crunchiest colleges that ever did crunch, but one of my best friends there received a Diva Cup from her boyfriend for Valentine's Day one year. (And was thrilled!)

You must be an Evergreen alum. :D

[formergothardite]

Am I alone in never liking tampons? They always hurt to put in--though other odds and ends, like diaphragms and manlybits, didn't.

I never can get them in where they don't hurt and feel icky.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

I thought cups were about equal with reusable hemp pads for crunchy-approved menstrual products. :lol:

They totally are! I was just sharing that not all guys are "don't ask, don't tell" about menstruation. :D

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

You must be an Evergreen alum. :D

Nope, but very similar sort of place. :D

[church_of_dog]

So glad I am in menopause and don't have to deal with any of this!

same! (well, a hysterectomy, so "instant menopause")

but I still keep the unopened case of tampons I had on hand, because after society collapses they are gonna be the best barter inventory imaginable! :lol: :lol:

I also never removed the few spares I kept in the glove compartment, because...

... I hear they're good for treating bullet wounds!

(I'm only a half-assed survivalist, but I figured why not? At the very least I might help out a younger female friend in a pinch someday... :D )

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

After I got the hang of the Diva Cup the only problem I had with it is that it was hard to pee with it in (i.e. the pee wouldn't come out).

[Khan]

I thought we were pariahs if our POOP didn't smell like flowers. Now I have to stick them up my hoo-ha, too? I'm going to need more Benadryl!

[meep]

Is the Diva Cup okay for women who have heavy flows?

I've been thinking about trying a Diva Cup (or some type of menstrual cup) for a long time. But I have a heavy flow...I have to wear both tampons and pads, especially at night, for the first few days of my period (but the last days are normal/light). I'm worried that I would have to be emptying it out too often or maybe even not being able to wear one at all at night, having to still use pads and tampons. What happens when you don't change it out after 8 hours? Is there a type of "overflow"?

One thing I have heard/read women say about the cup is that it is very messy to take out - as in, their toilet/bathroom looks like a scene from a horror movie and their hands are completely covered, it's so bad - considering it's hours and hours worth of plugged up blood. Is it that messy for you? What happens when you're in a public restroom and it gets messy?

How long did it take to get the hand of?

[debrand]

I have never douched and have no idea what a douche is, is this where the US term douchebag comes from?

I have seen sprays in the chemist but it would never occur to me to use them. No smell down there at all. I shower every day sometimes twice if it is hot. I tend to have a quick wash after sex due to fallout :lol:

.

It is a plastic bottle with an applicator that the woman inserts into her vagina. She squeezes the bottle and water squirts up into her lady parts, making said parts smell flowery good. I'm not certain why a woman's vagina should smell like flowers and a man doesn't have to splash flowery smelling water on his balls.

Oh and some douches were strawberry scented.

[Arete]

Well, I cycle between pads and tampons as the spirit moves me. Yep, not only a tool of the patriarchy, but an indecisive tool of the patriarchy. Feminism will never be able to march into the glorious future until I am straighten out. :shrug:

[DistantStar]

Well, I cycle between pads and tampons...

I see what you did there. :mrgreen:

I have been having periods since I was 13, so that's...24 years. And not once, in all of that time, has anybody ever told me "Ewwwwww! Your period stinks!" (They'd have to get REALLY CLOSE to notice, no?) during them. And that is, honestly, more periods than I care to calculate. I am not sticking totally stupid and unnecessary chemicals near all those mucous membranes, thank YOU.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I've never even thought about using a douche. The vagina is a self cleaning machine!

[Rachel333]

This might be oversharing, but once in a while I have been able to smell that another woman is on her period (and some people claim they can always smell it on women). I don't think "eww, disgusting", though, but just something like "well, that's a period" and I move on with my life. I don't think it's such a big deal.

[DarkAnts]

Is the Diva Cup okay for women who have heavy flows?

I've been thinking about trying a Diva Cup (or some type of menstrual cup) for a long time. But I have a heavy flow...I have to wear both tampons and pads, especially at night, for the first few days of my period (but the last days are normal/light). I'm worried that I would have to be emptying it out too often or maybe even not being able to wear one at all at night, having to still use pads and tampons. What happens when you don't change it out after 8 hours? Is there a type of "overflow"?

One thing I have heard/read women say about the cup is that it is very messy to take out - as in, their toilet/bathroom looks like a scene from a horror movie and their hands are completely covered, it's so bad - considering it's hours and hours worth of plugged up blood. Is it that messy for you? What happens when you're in a public restroom and it gets messy?

How long did it take to get the hand of?

The cup is good for people with heavy flows. They hold more then a tampon. They are not a mess in public restrooms. You just wipe your hands with toilet paper and wash them in the sink with soap and water. I would suggest wearing something as a backup if you have flooding periods.