Perseverance: YOU Be that One in a Million!: 2012

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Cups, Pads, and Girls in Uganda

by Dr. Margaret Aranda

Although the menstrual cups seem to be newly promoted, it is interesting that they were first marketed in 1937. And to think that the companies that invested in selling them all failed. In the 1950’s, the menstrual cups were marketed by Tampax® as the Tassette® (Mum.org).

Today, they are making a comeback, but not just because of the eco-friendly characteristics having to do with less trash and less land fill discard. The menstrual cup (Figure 1) has advantages because it may prevent the need to change a pad or tampon more frequently, as it can hold a bit more blood than some realize. There are special cleansing solutions available for washing.

Figure 1. The Menstrual Cup. Menstrual cups come in different shapes, sizes, and textures, and over a woman’s lifetime, they cost less than disposable options.

There is also the cloth menstrual pad, carry pouches, and cleansing solution so that eco-friendly considerations are optimized (Figure 2) with pads.

The Menstrual Pad. Menstrual pads can also be used as incontinence pads. The soft cloth texture is combined with aesthetically pleasing color tones for added comfort.

LunaPad is one brand of menstrual pad, out of many. The pad is washable, and is available in different ‘flow’ strengths, from the Starter kit to the Heavy Flow kit. To add to the simplicity and portability of the concept, they also sell waterproof carry bags, pouches, and cleansing solutions. They offer the Divacup as an alternative to the tampon; as with all menstrual cups, it can be worn for 12 hours. The Lunapanties are hipsters that can help hold in the pads. For the post-menopausal woman, the same products can be used for urinary incontinence, obviating the need to purchase disposable pads for urine leakage. A particularly nice feature of the Lunapad website is the Pads4Girls Program, which assists girls in Uganda with every donation.

It makes sense that if you live in a third world country and have your period and no pads, you will miss school (if you have a school). In fact, if you stayed home from school every time you had a period because you were bleeding and had no pad, those missed days would add up to about 20% of your entire school year that was missed. Missed school may lead to dropping out of school, and an incomplete education.

Studies show that Ugandan girls that drop out of school are more likely to get married, pregnant, die in childbirth, contract HIV, and earn less than girls who graduate high school. So the Pads4Girls Program sends a pad kit to a girl in Uganda. You can even register on the website to make a charitable donation to keep girls in school during their periods, and I think this is a seriously worthwhile endeavor.

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If you would like to Order Dr. Aranda's books,

go to: http://drmargaretaranda.tateauthor.com/other-works/

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Dr. Margaret Aranda's Books:

Face Book Page: No More Tears: A Physician Turned Patient Inspires Recovery

No More Tears en Espanol

Face Book Page: Stepping from the Edge

Little Missy Two-Shoes Likes to go to School

Face Book Page: Little Missy Two-Shoes Likes a Ladybug

From Menarche to Menopause: A Journey through Time

To Pre-Order the official book, No More Tears, Click Here

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Age 1: A Baby on the Edge

Age 2: Getting Past the Edge of the Bed

Age 3: The Edge of the Cliff

Age 4: Don't Panic

Age 5: The Edge of the Pool

Age 6: Glistening in the Moonlight

Age 7: The Pigeon Boy, The Suction Bush, and The Darkness

Age 8: Selling Cupcakes

Age 9: Sitting on the Edge of the Cave

Age 10: Mr. Bubble

Age 11: Chasing the First Kiss

Age 12: Keeping the Best of the 70's

Age 13: Everything Just So

Age 14: Too Young to Know

Age 15: The Last Thing I Remember

Age 16: Graduating High School

Age 17: Working Working Working

Age 18: How Things Were

Age 19: I Read it in a Book

Age 20: Ways that Can Never Be Forgotten

Age 21: Christmas Carols

Age 22: My Own Crisis

Age 23: A Bloody Mess

Age 24: Applications

Age 25: Leaving One Era and Starting Another

Age 26: Studying through My Tears

Age 27: Repeating the First Year of Medical School

Age 28: Changes

Age 29: Match Day

Age 30: Graduating and Being on the Bottom

Age 31: The Color Blue

Additional Articles by Dr. Margaret Aranda

Silver Stethoscope Award Nomination

"It's About Time" for Invisible Diseases to Speak Out

Cultural Variations of Menstruation

Cups, Pads, and Girls in Uganda

Menopause and Painful Intercourse

The IF Tracker

An "Anti-Inflammatory" Meal

Low Sexual Desire in Women: Is it HSDD?

Menstruation, Accidents, and Pilots

What Aristotle Thought of Menstruation

From Menarche through Menopause

The History of Menopause

The Different Types of Hysterectomies

Ovarian Conservation, Ethics, and Informed Consent

My! What Long Telomeres you Have!

Surgical Menopause and Testosterone Therapy

Bears Can Smell the Menstruation: Or Can They?

The Ovaries: Endocrine and Reproduction

Women Helping Women

The Virgin and the Maiden Tribute

Menopause, Painful Intercourse, and Vaginal Dryness

Chapter One: From Menopause through Menarche ~ A Journey through Time

Research Questions on Menopause

Research Questions on Menstruation
The Cost of Illness for Women

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Full Disclosure: Margaret A. Ferrante, M.D. is an Institute Physician with Cenegenics Medical Institute. She receives no monetary compensation for hosting this website you are on, which is independent and not affiliated with Cenegenics. The information presented is for education and awareness. Dr. Ferrante currently sees patients out of the Cenegenics office in Beverly Hills, CA.

To book an appointment for a free Consultation, please email her at: mferrante@cenegenics.com