The Alternative to Luxurious Sanitary Pads

The government has declared sanitary pads as a luxury item. Oh, you haven’t heard? They’ve decided to increase the prices of sanitary pads. No, of course not: sanitary pads are no basic necessary items that every girl needs, they’re a luxury. You must have heard wrong, no, every girl does not bleed every month. This is no obligation that we all must go through. This is a luxury. And if you still cannot hear the sarcasm in all this, you must belong to the other group of people, the one that sees no wrong in this.

While the world is taking a step forward and making sanitary pads free of cost in many places, creating sanitary pad vending machines, Nepal is taking a step back. When young girls all across Nepal should be unhesitant to use sanitary pads, they might just be more hesitant than ever, now. The average girl spends an average of Rs 80 on a pack of sanitary pads which might not seem like much. But here’s the deal: one pack is never enough for one girl. We might just need 2 packs at the least every month. Add that to 3 packs for heavy flow days as girls have to change every 5-6 hours for sanitation purposes. Where do we land with numbers, then? An extra amount of money spent aside every month just because we have to deal this natural process. And this month, things have been made so much easier by adding extra cost to that very amount set aside.

If you’ve been living under a rock, there have been several protests going around the valley against this recent increase in prices. What can one do in this situation? Here are some alternatives to using luxurious sanitary napkins

1. Using Local Sanitary Napkins

We are not deprived of sanitary napkins made in Nepal. There are several bands such as Safety. NGOs have also been going to several places across the nation and teaching young women to make sanitary pads from scratch. You will find Nepali brands of sanitary napkins at every medical store, every shop around the corner or every departmental store as you would find imported sanitary pads.

2.  Reusable Pads

This one had made me flinch a bit when I first saw this at Karma, Gyanmandala. It made me think of the ‘kapada’ system all over again that we deemed as unhygienic back during our grandmothers’ time. The reusable pads are a new safer alternative to that though. Designed like a pad, but made of cloth, this pad can be washed and reused and attached to your panties using the buttons attached on it.

3. Menstrual Cups

This one is perhaps the more ecofriendly and good for the long term. If you want, you can switch to using menstrual cups. One menstrual cup should hold you off for 5 – 10 years. It might seem expensive to purchase initially, but once purchased, you will not need another one quite soon. While many young women say they found it uncomfortable at first, once they got used to it, they never went back to wearing pads. Do not forget to sterilize with every use.

This one little step might as well be the little push we need to switch to alternative products. We can show them. Use what seems most feasible to you and your body and remember to be healthy and safe.