Did you know?
- From the time of her first cycle to menopause, the average woman will have around 450 periods in her lifetime.
- You lose a lot less blood than you think during your period (between one and six tablespoons of menstrual fluid).
- Sleeping with a nightlight can help regulate your cycle because light exposure helps control the release of the female reproductive hormones.
- Scented feminine products can upset the balance of power between good and bad bacteria in the vagina and can throw your pH balance out of whack.
- Poor menstrual hygiene can pose physical health risks and has been linked to reproductive and urinary tract infections.
- Period blood and discharge are 100% sterile until they reach oxygen, (assuming the uterus is healthy).
- What we put inside our vagina goes almost directly into our bloodstream.
- Around 26% of the world is currently menstruating. That means roughly 800 million women and youth worldwide.
- In a lifetime the average woman will dispose off 10.000 single-use pads that will take up to 500 years to decompose.
- Women are paying an estimated $18,171 in their lifetime for period-related products.
- Plastic that’s made from up to 90% crude-oil (petroleum) is found in most conventional pads and tampon applicators.
- Several known toxic chemicals (like dioxin, a highly carcinogen) are found in conventional single-use period products.
- A pack of conventional pads contains the equivalent of 5 plastic bags. Tampons, pads and applicators generate 200,000 tonnes of waste per year.
- Menstrual inequity is an issue. 1 in 4 teens in the U.S. has missed class because they don’t have access to menstrual products.
- In some states, condoms and Viagra are not taxed whereas pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and other necessary hygiene products are.
- The word taboo comes from the Polynesian “tapua”, meaning both sacred and menstruation.
- In a surprisingly big number of countries, sanitary period products are still considered “nonessential luxury items”.
- A lifespan of a menstrual cup can save more than 2,500 disposable products from ending up in landfills.
- Another word for menstruation is “catamenia” (from Greek kata=by, menia = month). A “catamenia cup” is a firm cup worn inside the vagina to catch the menstrual blood and was invented in 1870.
- Reusable products generally last around five years, while the menstrual cup, can last a decade.