Reply #289: Oh, now we have the taliban involved. Perfect. :)

[noamnety]

(alright, that was kinda funny, I'll grant you that. Let's not get rid of women, we agree there.)

The infectious biological waste argument would carry more weight with me if you told me that you burned your feces instead of flushing it. But since most people in fact do flush their feces in this country, I think we can disregard that entire line of logic.

There is one set of alternatives that works which is disposable. There is another set of alternatives that works which is not disposable. The fact that one set of alternatives has existed longer than the other does not, in and of itself, make it have more or less merit. There are pros and cons of each, and from this thread I've compiled this:

Pros of disposable pads:
- no need to make them or put forth an initial investment if you buy them
- no need to bring dirty ones home for laundering
- throwout and forget

Cons of disposable pads:
- costs hundreds/thousands of dollars long term
- some complaints about how they smell and feel
- concerns about toxic chemicals in them
- have to pack a lot for travel
- a lot of landfill waste
- sometimes sits in trash can for days
- may be caught not able to purchase them while traveling
- have to carry a purse or have large pockets to leave the house. Or convince the husband/boyfriend to carry them in his wallet, which they do seem to be conveniently sized for.


Pros of reusable pads:
- saves hundreds or thousands of dollars long term
- can be made from scrap fabric for no money at all
- natural fabric doesn't have unpleasant chemical smell or nasty feel some complained about here
- no landfill waste
- only need to pack a few for extended vacations

Cons of reusable pads:
- May sit under sink (vs. in trash) for a couple days until laundry is done. Not ideal for dorm life. :)
- need to make them or put forth a small investment to buy them once
- If you need to change it while not at home, you need a way to transport it home after it's used.

Pros of disposable tampons:
- no need to put forth an initial investment if you buy them
- throw out and forget

Cons of disposable tampons:
- expensive long term (hundreds/thousands of dollars)
- sometimes uncomfortable to remove/communion wafer factor
- often have to walk around with pee-soaked string in your underwear
- have to pack a lot for travel
- a lot of landfill waste
- sometimes sits in trash can for days
- applicators wash up on beaches regularly
- can contain toxic chemicals
- have to carry a purse or have pockets to leave the house.

Pros of the divacup:
- saves hundreds or thousands of dollars long term
- if you can get the hang of inserting and removing it, more comfortable than removing half used tampons
- no different than using a diaphragm really, for those who used to use that for birth control
- If you have it with you, you never need to worry about running out of supplies, even if you are hiking the Appalachian trail for half a year.
- Can go out without pockets or a purse.

Cons of the divacup:
- initial investment of about $35
- newbies may have to practice putting it in/taking it out