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27 February 2008
A rant about tampons Amen, amen.→[More:]And an amen to the commenter who said tampons shouldn't be taxed as a luxury item, too.
I love how some of the commenters don't get it. I don't think we'd ever say, "Oh, don't flush toilet paper - the toilet backs up." Because toilet paper was engineered to stand up to a little fluid, and dissolve in a lot of fluid.
But tampons? No, tampons gotta be a big huge deal. And I think 95% of the time, they're scapegoated, when the real culprit is that jerkwad who uses fistfulls of TP, or that really hairy guy who likes to shave his you-know-whats into the toilet bowl.
Tampons, liners, toilet paper, diapers-- they all should be purchasable with food stamps.
Actually i think all basic staples should be available at some kind of community kiosk or something.
Where's our damn island, already?
My new house is on a septic system, and tampon-flushing is strongly discouraged. More stuff in tank = tank has to be pumped. But, otherwise, yeah, the people who blame tampons for all plumbing problems are the same people who design public bathrooms with not nearly enough stalls for women.
I had an awkward-humorous moment with the plumber last year. My pipes are old and have to be snaked out every couple years because the tree roots infiltrate the lines. It's a natural, regular occurrence -- not something caused by human activity. Anyway, the dude pulled out some really, really old, long-decayed tampons, and kept saying "See? Feminine hygiene." He couldn't even bring himself to say the word "tampons."
I was snickering to myself the whole time, then I got kinda weirded out about receiving a 'feminine hygiene' lecture from this unknown middle-aged man.
I've wondered how much women spend over a lifetime on sanitary supplies. I don't want government cheese style supplies, but it's an expense that has no male equivalent that I can think of. Shaving is technically a choice for both men and women, but women have to do something about the monthlies. Women buy condoms. Eth is right, IMO, these things should be food bank items.
And don't flush in my house with my plumbing, please. I just don't risk it. Maybe I need to put up a sign. (kidding.)
I was actually thinking on the drive home about how mysterious human biology was, especially the female nether-regions. Light flow peeps and Heavy flow peeps, thong wearers and non thong enabled butts, and the whole How Women Get Off thing.
I've always been bothered about what many people see as essential. Every Christmas and thanksgiving tons of dinner supply are donated but how much baby formula is given? How common is donating diapers to a local pantry? In my expirence, not often. The giving is wonderful but woman in need need more than turlkey stuffing and canned beans.
When I worked at a non-profit in Fairbanks that helped run a pantry, we also ran a Personal Needs Closet. This thing was stacked from floor to ceiling with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, brushes, combs, diapers, wet wipes, deodorant, razors, and pads and tampons. Every possible hygenic item you could ever think you would need. So there are places that provide those items.
Do they really break down quickly in the water like TP?
No, they sort of swell up. But I don't see why they shouldn't swell so big that they fall apart, instead of swelling so big that they're even harder to deal with.
but how much baby formula is given? How common is donating diapers to a local pantry?
Well, in my experience, diaper drives were relatively common, usually hosted by the Women's bible study group at my church. They would usually donate these to women's shelters, and the YWCA.
I don't think we'd ever say, "Oh, don't flush toilet paper - the toilet backs up."
Actually... The one and only time I've stayed in a hostel, there was a nice laminated "DO NOT FLUSH TOILET PAPER" sign beside the toilet. Under it was a tiny-ass flip-top wastepaper can.
I had a full-body gross-out shudder upon seeing it for the first time, and completely ignored the sign.
Okay, 12 months X 5 dollars X 35 years = $2,100 - minus time your parents bought you that stuff, minus pregnancies and the menopause process - ok, maybe $1,750? If done the standard mass-consumed way and not with a cup or gathered moss or something.
More stuff in tank = tank has to be pumped.
We've got a septic tank too, theora. It is my husband's position that tampons should not be flushed. It is my position that I should ignore that position.
And speaking of periods, I FINALLY got a doctor to order an ultrasound to find out why my period lasts two weeks and can get so heavy that I can't leave the house. All it took was me bursting into tears!
I haven't flushed a tampon in years - I've lived in too many houses with charming antique plumbing for that. I'm kind of surprised that anyone does. Huh. It doesn't bother me - wrap and toss. Or just toss. Whatever, as long as you have a trash can with a lid the dog can't open, it's all good. Anyway, according to some new agey book about a woman shaman I read one time, you're supposed to honor your menstrual flow by gathering it in rags and then washing them ritually. While you're in the menstruation hut, probably. I love the menstruation hut! I want to be sequestered for seven or eight days every month with nothing to do but read novels and loll around. Yes. Bring on the menstruation hut.
I haven't even owned tampons in three years. Nor pads. Nor even pantiliners. Ahhhh. Mirena, how I love you.
Mirena may reduce menstrual cramps and flow. Average flow is reduced by 90 percent. Flow stops altogether for about 20 percent of women within one year. Reduced flow may reduce iron deficiency anemia. From here.
Jezebel's ability to turn minimalia into whiny rants about women's rights never cease to baffle. but then, they're convinced that saying "motherfucker" makes you sound all assertive and cool. but then, it's the gawker media empire of get-paid-by-page-views, when the average editor has been there for 16 hours at best.
if flushing tampons is a civil right worth ranting about, god saves us when roe gets overturned -- these strong women might be too busy finding a plumber to actually care about that silly SCOTUS thing.
...you're supposed to honor your menstrual flow by gathering it in rags and then washing them ritually.
I have a really horrific story along these lines regarding my ex, my parents, and a salad bowl. But I'm too traumatized, even 8 years later, to go into it here. Someday over a beer, maybe.
And I think maybe matteo, you take things way too seriously. Motherfucker.
I never flushed a tampon (or used one). But why flush it or toss it when you can store it and then sell it to some freak on ebay?
Srsly, in Brazil people don't usually flush toilet paper, there's a can (hopefully with foot-activated cover) for that. Yeah, don't look inside, or breathe too deeply.
Huh. It's never even occurred to me to flush tampons. It really does cause plumbing problems in some plumbing, so I never risk it.
As for toilet paper, we don't put that in the toilet where I am right now, either. Every bathroom has a little basket next to the toilet, and everyone knows to put the paper there.
Well, except for a new US roommate one time, who didn't know this and hadn't stayed in hotels or hostels here (they all have signs for the tourists who don't know better, which I don't have in my private bathroom). My toilet kept backing up, like every other day. It was really annoying. It flooded out a couple of times, too. Finally I had to ask if she was flushing the toilet paper. She was. I told her to put it in the basket. She looked horrified and a little disgusted. But my toilet didn't back up at all after that.
Meh. Our toilet backed up this month when I had my period, necessitating immediate purchase of a plunger -- which we didn't have because it's one of those "things to buy when you move" that we forgot about. But really, you've got to be nuts. I'm. flushing. my. tampons.
And stewriffic, I'm seriously going to ask my gyno about an IUS at my next appointment. Why, after years of pain and ultrasounds and talk of laparoscopies, she never suggested this, I do not know.
Interesting insights. Thank you ladies. As far as I know, my mom and sisters have probably always flushed their tampons down the toilet. We don't keep a waste paper basket in the toilet here. (Funny thing is, we don't use toilet paper here either, so the only thing that probably goes into the toilet bowl are the tampons, and we haven't had a problem yet--it's been over 15 years that we've been living in this house).
On a slightly related note, a couple of months back, at my last job, we were trying to decide where to go for our monthly outing, and my Team leader and another guy had suggested some place that the girls in the group weren't too keen on. There were three guys in the group, including my TL, and about 6 girls. I didn't care either way but I was curious why the girls didn't seem too enthusiastic about the guy's choice, so I went up to them and asked 'em. They explained that there aren't any good toilet facilities over there, and if any one of them had to go, it would be almost impossible. I was taken aback. Here we were talking about going out and having a good time, and the first thing to hit the girl's minds was if there would be proper sanitation facilities to relieve themselves.
I don't want to come off sounding like a sappy feminist sympathizer (cos you know how much we hate those kinds of guys), but sometimes it really sucks being a woman.
This is part of why I now love my Diva Cup. Lived in too many places with awful plumbing. I've had it about 4 months and it's already saving me money, too.
I totally agree with ethylene's list of things that should be purchasable with food stamps. Hell, put condoms on that list, too!
Ummm, so hadjiboy, since you mention no toilet paper, do you have a bidet setup there? I'm just curious because I interact with a lot of Indian students. Also, I know you have SO many people there, so I'm curious about how the sewage issue is taken care of, in general. (Sorry if that's gross for bunnies, but the waste must be disposed of somehow.)
Oh, the thing I forgot!!
MGL's menstrual hut!
My best girlfriends and I used to talk about being "in the hut" and oh yeah, I think I would love that. Granted, everyone would know you were on the rag and "unclean" or whatever. But damn, a week off to look after whatever or laze about would be nice.
I mean, everyone pees and poops, right? It's just that ladies bleed once a month, too. Males (older children and adults) have those nocturnal events. It's all a part of being humans. At least that's how I explained it to my kids.
I actually had to look up the word "bidet" lily. Always wondered what those things were called. We had them in Saudi Arabia (where I used to live when my dad worked there), but over here it's a luxury which only an extreme few can afford. (Not to digress, but I was always scared to use one of those things, not knowing what the hell they were meant for--we didn't have one in my house--but my uncle had one in his toilet, so whenever we'd go there for a visit, I'd always be faced with the dilemma of: should I use it, or should I not use it. In the end--my curiosity caught the better of me, and I just couldn't help myself, even though I much preferred the good old fashioned way, so I kind of mix and matched.)
The waste is disposed of the same way it's disposed of in other countries I reckon, but the maintenance work is pathetic, because of which a lot of folk (who have to take care of our sewage systems when they get clogged) are ill-prepared for it.
*I must add, we also release a lot of it into water bodies that then get heavily polluted, so this is something that maybe doesn't happen in other countries.
I don't flush tampons because I seem to like "vintage" apartments which = "ancient" plumbing. Lived on the 1st floor of a two-story building once and I hated it when the upstairs neighbors would flush baby wipes and huge wads of paper towels, causing raw sewage to back up in our bathtub.
Anyway, now most months I just keep my Nuva Ring in for all four weeks and never get a period unless I feel like it. Nuva Ring is the greatest BC ever invented. Bonus: the only hormonal BC that doesn't make me nauseous! Yay!
Experiment time: If someone has a spare handy, how about dropping one in water and seeing if it does expand and begin to break apart after an hour, or a day.
Prepare to hate me, ladies. My monthly visitor is so light that as long as I go to the bathroom every 4 hours or so, I never have to use ANYTHING.
So, I say, do whatever you want, tampon makers. I am not your slave.
However, I once tricked a mean, drunk drag queen into using a dirty tampon applicator to snort drugs. THAT I would have paid a luxury tax for, and yet, don't they say the best things in life are free?
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
