Ever since the world was created, women have been going through the excruciating pain of menstruation every month. The process of menstruation is not exclusive for us homo sapiens or humans, but also the females of other species has been dealing with this problem.
The only difference is that, because of our advanced way of thinking and understanding, we are much aware of this “menstruation” phenomena. Humans, through the years, have invented and innovated ways to cope up with the stresses brought by the infamous monthly period. In this article, let’s try to discuss the traditional and modern ways of women in dealing with menstrual; period.
Traditional Method
The earliest civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans treated menstruation as a sacred phenomenon, because in that time it was considered the blood from the sacrificed animals from their Gods and Goddesses. Having a period in these times was rare and the breathing was lighter, considering the lifestyle of early civilizations. During this time, rags were used. These rags were placed in between the legs and then washed again for the next period, it works like a reusable pad.
These rags were used until 1888 when an inventor thought of ways to reduce the labor in dealing with menstruation. Thus, they created the pads that were only used once to save time from washing and drying of these rags. Early production of pads was usually made from a piece of cloth that was stitched into a rectangular-shaped fabric to fit in the underwear.
Today, the mass production of pads is mostly made of cotton and net fibers to absorb the discharge. The problem with pads is that when left in the genital area for too long, it may cause infection in the vagina. Others complained that pads were making them uncomfortable because of the gooey sensation on the area.
In 1929, tampons were manufactured and invented, so women can have other choices and will be more comfortable in dealing with menstruations. Unlike sanitary pads, tampons prevent the flow of blood to the sensitive parts. It’s almost like you’re not using anything to prevent the flow of blood. Tampons don’t cause back leak to women that’s why they prefer using this than sanitary napkins.
But, like the sanitary pads, when left too long inside the vagina may cause infection, worst-case scenario it can cause cancer to an individual. Tampons are widely used in the western part of the globe this is due to the religious belief of some countries like damaging the hymen that may cause the female to lose her virginity, but research proves this belief otherwise.
Modern Method
The newest innovation to deal with menstruation is the menstrual cup. Unlike the tampons and a sanitary napkin that is made of cotton, the menstrual cup is made of silicone. The two aforementioned methods work as an absorbent, while the menstrual cup work as a clog to prevent leakage. Also, the menstrual cup can be left up to twelve hours inside the vagina and is less infectious than the methods discussed before.
But how to clean a menstrual cup? Easy! Just wash it with soap and water and put it away for the next use. Besides menstrual cups, menstruation underwear is also starting to become famous today. Its pads that are stitched in the underwear and then you wash it for the next use. This became a hit because unlike the methods above it’s the eco-friendliest way but again you need extra work in washing the underwear.
Takeaway
Our modern technology today is the key for a more comfortable life, specifically experiencing lesser pain during menstruation. The methods above are used to combat the flow of blood, to prevent back leakage. But, this is not the only concern when dealing with our monthly period, there’s also hormonal imbalance, the sudden mood swing, food craving, and the infamous dysmenorrhea, all in all, can really mess up our day.
Luckily, we have medicines to alleviate this uncomfort in us women. The menstrual period is a natural phenomenon in us women. We shouldn’t always stress ourselves over a period and we must not let period ruin our day at any cost. We must accept the fact that the period is part of a woman’s life.