• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Vote for the best businesses in Hong Kong in the Expat Living Readers' Choice Awards 2023 and you could one one of these fantastic prizesExpat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2023
        • Romantic dining options for Valentine’s Day
        • Where to buy flowers and plants in HK
        • Romantic Holidays for Valentine's Day -Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort8 Romantic Southeast Asia Getaways
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • Innerglow at Tai KwunTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • Great podcasts we are listening to!
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
        • Romantic dining options for Valentine’s Day
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • Social media - the effects on mental health and attention spans by Hong Kong clinical psychologist Dr ZaidiHow we’re losing the knack of paying attention
        • Private tutors in Hong Kong
        • Hong Kong school news - IMS Open DayWhat’s new on the school scene?
        • We chat with two GSIS families
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • Where to buy flowers and plants in HK
        • Design Ideas: Yoga at Home
        • A New Home in The New Territories
        • Transforming an old Hong Kong junk
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • Romantic Holidays for Valentine's Day -Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort8 Romantic Southeast Asia Getaways
        • Sequoia Lodge, AustraliaTravel Tips: Hot hotels for 2023
        • Mount KinabuluClimbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah
        • Son Doong CaveJourney into the world’s largest cave
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Valentine’s Day Recipe: Acquerello Risotto, Lemon, Champagne and Red Prawns
        • Romantic dining options for Valentine’s Day
        • Thai food at Monsoon restaurant in Hong KongRestaurant Review: Monsoon
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Eyebrow and eyelash treatments at Glow Salon in Hong KongWhere to get your brows and lashes done
        • Sustainable fashion brand Tove & Libra's range of convertible clothing - black multi-tankConvertible clothing that can be mix-and-matched
        • where to get botox in hong kongBotox in Hong Kong – All you need to know
        • Where to buy (and sell!) watches
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • Social media - the effects on mental health and attention spans by Hong Kong clinical psychologist Dr ZaidiHow we’re losing the knack of paying attention
        • dry eye disease - causes, symptoms and treatment for dry eyesDo you suffer from dry eyes?
        • family dental clinics and dentists in Hong KongFamily Dental Clinics and Dentists in HK
        • Children's teeth and bracesKids and braces – all you need to know
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

Have you considered a menstrual cup?

25 May, 2022 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/menstrual-cups-environmentally-friendly-alternative-to-tampons/

Menstrual cup. There, I said it. I don’t know why those two little words make me blush, but they do. I don’t turn red when I talk about tampons or pads, but perhaps I should. Red with anger. Tampons and pads are really terrible for the planet. Truly.

While you may think that tampon you’re using is recyclable, it’s probably not; not really. Just look in a trash dump (or even a beach) and you’ll see them everywhere. Yes, a portion may be recyclable, but tampons have all sorts of bad stuff in them such as the chemical dioxin (a known carcinogen) that keeps them from being broken down. And, by the way, all those chemicals also aren’t too good for your own body. I mean, putting something full of chemicals in your most delicate place just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Menstrual Cups folded

Now let’s think about the numbers, which are, quite frankly, astonishing. Just say a woman uses 20 tampons per period. That’s 240 a year. On average, she’ll get a monthly visit from Aunt Flo for 40 years. That’s 9,600 tampons in a lifetime. Gulp.

According to the book Flow, the Cultural History of Menstruation, the total amount of pads and tampons ends up being approximately 120kg of trash during a woman’s lifetime. Overall? That’s about 0.5 percent of a woman’s overall trash load during her menstruating years.

Wow. Multiply that by the number of women on the planet (about 3.5 billion) and you start to see the problem.

Of course, many women don’t have access to tampons – or any sort of feminine protection. It’s just not available in poorer countries. Or, if it is, there are women who can’t afford to dole out hard-earned cash for a box of tampons. That’s good for the planet maybe, but not so good for the woman dealing with the consequences of no feminine protection.

An alternative option

So, what’s a gal to do? How can you help save the planet one period at a time? How can these women without access be helped?

The menstrual cup is the answer. This small cup of flexible rubber or silicone is inserted just before your period begins and catches the blood rather than absorbs it. You put it in like a tampon without an applicator and it springs open and forms a seal. Every 12 hours, you need to remove it by pulling the little stem at the bottom. Simply empty it, wash it with soap and water and reinsert.

Menstrual Cups in a row

At the end of your period, sterilise it in boiling water and the process starts all over next month. At around $50 or more, they aren’t cheap, but here’s the deal: they last for years. So when you compare it to spending at least $6 for a box of tampons every month, menstrual cups aren’t only good for the planet, but they’re also good for your pocketbook. And the cool thing is, if they’re inserted properly, they won’t leak, so no embarrassing accidents. You can exercise and swim. There’s no smell. No stopping up a toilet. No toxic shock syndrome. No bad chemicals deep inside your privates. No more packing a bulky box of tampons or pads for a trip. You can even buy special ones so you don’t have messy sex. The list of pros is long.

Tampons-and-Menstrual-Cups
Tampons-and-Menstrual-Cups
Tampons-and-Menstrual-Cups

Some key questions

With all the reasons to use a menstrual cup, why haven’t they caught on? After all, they’ve been around since the 1930s. Well, frankly, it takes a while to get the hang of using one and it’s usually a few cycles before you feel comfortable. Plus, they’re a bit icky. Washing them out in a public toilet is a little odd, right? Still, women who use them, swear by them.

The key is to find the right size. Yup, just like women come in different shapes and sizes, so do menstrual cups and it may take you a while to find the right fit. But don’t fret. You’ll figure it out. Some brands sell only two sizes whereas other brands have an array of sizes and tell you how to measure. Also, going through childbirth may change the size you need.

When can a young girl start using a menstrual cup? Like tampons, she can use them as soon as she feels ready to try.

Which one is right for you? That’s a very personal decision. Do your research, but note that some companies also donate a menstrual cup to women in need for every cup bought.

So, brave up! Give this little life changing cup a try. Avoid chemicals. Save money and save the planet while you’re at it. Finally, a way to feel good about your monthly flow.

Like this? See more in our Health & Fitness section

Subscribe to Expat Living now so you never miss an issue!

Categories: Editors Picks Health & Fitness Wellness Tags: Menstrual cups

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our bimonthly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

You May Also Like

family dental clinics and dentists in Hong Kong

Family Dental Clinics and Dentists in HK

Vote for the best businesses in Hong Kong in the Expat Living Readers' Choice Awards 2023 and you could one one of these fantastic prizes

Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2023

6 super reasons to visit sky100

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.