Health benefits of natural cloth pads
The health benefits of Wemoon natural menstrual pads.
As well as being soft and comfortable to wear, Wemoon natural menstrual cloth pads bring health benefits to your body.
Breathable cotton pads help reduce allergies and thrush.
Disposable feminine hygiene products are actually not sterile despite their whiter-than-white appearance. In fact, the synthetics and plastics that they contain create a humid micro-climate in this warm, damp area, in which germs and fungal infections such as thrush can easily breed.
When women develop irritation problems such as thrush, vaginitis or soreness, they are usually advised by doctors and health specialists to wear cotton underwear [1]. But, without thinking, they often continue to use their usual brand of feminine hygiene product or panty liner made from synthetic and plastic ingredients. Many women suffering from skin allergies, irritation, soreness and itching, find their symptoms are worse during their period because of the synthetic nature of their choice of a feminine hygiene product.
Cloth pads are softer on the skin and they allow natural airflow, which can help prevent thrush, vaginal rashes and related problems. Wemoon’s original leakproof layer is made of a special fabric which breathes and does not leak giving you air flow and extra security.
Cloth pads linked to shorter periods & reduced PMS.
We have had a number of comments from Wemoon customers that their cycle has shortened since they switched to Wemoon pads. Nina in Germany tells us, “Since using Wemoon the duration of my period went from 5-6 days to about 2 days! Then, when I didn’t use them my period took about 4 days.” Vanessa in Australia also reports, “I have found my menstrual flow has decreased” and Hitomi in Japan says, “I had very bad PMS, but since I have used your pads, it has incredibly disappeared. I am now really happy to welcome my period.”
We’ve heard claims that disposable products contain some sort of chemicals that induce bleeding, maybe by coincidence or possibly because this promotes the use of more product. Without more scientific research on this topic, we are reluctant to comment but we are delighted that our customers are enjoying their shorter periods. Perhaps it is simply their bodies saying thank you!
Reduce the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but sometimes fatal disease. Tampon-related TSS was identified in 1980 when a number of deaths were directly linked to a particular brand of super-absorbent tampon, subsequently withdrawn from sale [2,3]. In 2001, a 13-year-old British girl died of tampon-related TSS after using tampons for the very first time throughout her period [4]. TSS has been linked to the use of super-absorbent and newer, less absorbent tampons made of viscose rayon, both with and without cotton. It is also more common in younger people whose immune system is less mature [5].
Although the FDA reassures us that “the number of reported TSS cases has decreased significantly in recent years”, lawyer and author Tom Riley, who has represented more victims of TSS than any other attorney, says:
“All experts agree that the number of TSS cases in the United States are under-reported. That is because reporting by the states to the Centers for Disease is voluntary and most states are unwilling to incur the expense of gathering the data and submitting it to the CDC” [6]. Australian Wellbeing agrees, noting that despite what many women may think, TSS has not disappeared although it has decreased. Cases of death still occur [4].
Most sources agree that the best preventative solution is to use sanitary pads at night to give the body a rest.
Other tampon considerations.
The risks of TSS are not the only reason for considering minimising tampon use. Vaginal dryness and chronic vaginitis have also been clearly linked to tampon use [9,10]. The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective recommends a simple experiment to visually grasp the immediate effects that tampons have on a woman’s body. Simply take a tampon and dunk it into a glass of water and observe the many fibres that remain in the water when the tampon is taken out. The same effect takes place in the vagina, only the remaining fibres are then secured in place by the next tampon…and so on [8].
Another concern with tampons is their effect on the body’s natural flow of energy. According to many schools of natural healing, the body’s energy flows downward during menstruation. Tampons create anti peristaltic movements, disturbing this downward flow and the rhythm of the fallopian tubes. Women often experience this blocking of the natural downward flow of energy causes abdominal discomfort and cramping, which they do not experience when they use menstrual pads.[11]
And finally, Prevention magazine warns, “Tampons cause friction and irritation to the vaginal walls and interfere with the natural cleansing flow of mucus.” One of the recognised causes of cancer is repeated irritation or tissue trauma. There is much speculation but we are not aware of any conclusive research linking tampon use and cancer. There is certainly a range of possible causes for the increase in feminine cancer in the past decades. But we do know that one in 138 women will be diagnosed with cancer of the cervix during their lifetime [7]. And we do know that tampons (especially those that expand lengthways) cannot help but rub against that soft and tender area. We prefer not to take the risk.
References:
2. Soap Opera – The Inside Story of Procter & Gamble’ by Alecia Swasy, Times Books, Random House, Inc., New York, 1993
3. The Curse. Confronting the Last Taboo: Menstruation’ by Karen Houppert. Profile Books Ltd, 1999
5. Dr. Lawrence D’Angelo, The (US) Journal of Adolescent Health Care of July 1986 more info
6. ‘Price of a Life: One Woman’s Death from Toxic Shock’, Tom Riley, Adler and Adler, 1986
7. USA National Cancer Institute Stat Fact Sheets
8. Femophobia! by Tovi Browninga
9. Armstrong, Liz and Scott, Adrienne, Whitewash: Exposing the health and environmental dangers of women’s sanitary products and disposable diapers – what you can do about it! Harper Collins, Toronto, 1992, p. 91.
10. Shannon, Marilyn M., Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition: Can What You Eat Affect Your Menstrual Cycles and Your Fertility?, The Couple to Couple League International, Inc., Cincinnati, 1996, p. 86, 88