7Gen Blog

Where can I find some facts beyond the ads and hype?

Not to be Debbie Downer, however I remember looking into the phenomenon of organic cotton tampons and dangers of non-organic in my early teens. I was quickly bombarded with links about internet hoaxes by maternal figures in my life, and told the whole thing was a plant by Organic Tampon companies trying to sell their product. Perhaps this was in relation to the specifics I came across at the time, and not the situation as a whole, I cannot remember now.
Sure in hindsight, perhaps it was exactly the Larger corporations saying it was a planted 'hoax' that there were dangers to their tampons, but in any case, I need facts, not hearsay, and not ads, which is exactly what the above video is. So, where can I get the facts please?

I will also call for a junior or light tampon from the organic ranks - that is my biggest reason for using other brands aside from price; using a tampon with greater absorbency than my current flow causes other problems, I'll leave it at that.

The Diva Cup is great - but I also find it problematic for my light flow, for changing at work and what have you. I also think women vary slightly in anatomical structure, and I happen to be one of the 'oddballs' for whom this doesn't quite jive/stay as it should. Believe me I've read the help forums on how to correctly use it, I just went back to light tampons. But, by all means, Diva Cup is great if it works for you!

Another Diva girl

I switched to the Diva Cup two months ago, and I love it. I use Seventh Generation pantie liners on the very light days. I purchased both at vitacost.com. Much less expensive than the health food stores where they are usually sold. The Seventh Generation liners do not cause any of the skin irritation that the "regular" ones always gave me. I'm hooked.

From a spiritual standpoint...tampons are a no-no!

When I was shopping online for my daughters cloth diapers, I found that most cloth diaper sites also sell cloth menstrual pads. Kellycloset.com is a good site.

I agree that tampons aren't the healthiest choice. I used to only wear tampons cause I thought it felt "cleaner." But why do we see our periods as unclean. In stores and commercials, anything that has to do with our cycles is referred to as "sanitary." So its no surprise as to why we're brainwashed into thinking our cycles are dirty. They're not dirty, they're a natural sign of fertility. This was pointed out to me in a book I read called Cunt by Inga Muscio.

I learned from a Dakota elder woman that when we are on our periods, we are at our strongest! Its when our bodies are letting go of negative energy, its our way of cleansing ourselves spiritually. Men don't have the ability of cleansing themselves! That is the biggest reason I don't use tampons anymore.

It is also our connection to the moon! Cause we're both on 28-day cycles!

A-ho! Ometeotl!

No tampons for me, thank you!

I think it's great that Seventh Generation wants to inspire women to think about what they're using for feminine hygiene. The problem is that I don't necessarily agree that tampons are the healthiest choice for a woman's body.

There's an article that covers a lot of the basics about why tampons are not very good, even if they are made with organic substances and are unscented: http://www.xomba.com/are_tampons_supposed_hurt

Thanks for creating the video though. It's nice to know that someone out there wants us to think about our health in that sort of way too. Being a strong woman means making the right choices and taking care of ourselves. How can we be strong if we aren't thinking about even the simplest of choices we make, right? :)

I do really like the Seventh Generation pads though, as I've used them along with my Diva Cup. Though, now I'm reading these comments and am becoming more curious about reusable menstrual pads. I'll have to check 'em out! :)

I find it odd you describe

I find it odd you describe that as a video to "start a conversation."

It looks purely like an advertisement to me. It's a nice advertisement, but I'm not passing along advertising that has little else going for it.

It's not very informative. It only mentions one possible alternative. Every time you post anything about paper towels or feminine care I sigh as you avoid any non-disposable option.

Please take a broader view of what you are selling. As mentioned above, reusable pads need to be washed. Why don't you "start your conversation" around both your disposable products AND using non-nasty chemical cleaners to clean the non-disposable? There--both are selling something you make, and you actually present multiple options.

If you want to be treated as a source of information you need to not avoid alternatives you don't sell, and instead find some creative marketers to tie in other product lines to those alternatives. As it is, the amount of information omitted from these "discussion starters" makes me less trusting of the information you do choose to note.

What makes these "Organic"?

I find the organic labeling confusing. What makes these organic?? I know there are standards for food in order for them to be truly organic, but what standards are being used here to label a tampon organic?

Why dispose?

I throw away exactly nothing into the trash can each month. I use a Diva Cup or organic cotton pads. Sure, I use a small quantity of water when I wash the pads on cold in my front loader, but I sleep a lot better knowing that I have reduced my impact as much as I know how.

I use Lunapads. Check out

I use Lunapads. Check out my blog post:

http://gloriashin1.tumblr.com/post/683832294/intro-to-lunapads-have-an-e...

Divacup is also fantastic option. Reusable, hospital grade silicone.

I used to use 7th Gen. chlorine-free pads, which were a good alternative, but once I discovered organic cotton reusable pads, I never went back. Plus a lot less packaging! If I'm in a bind, I like Natracare's pads b/c they don't use any plastic at all in their packaging.

(Note: I don't work for Lunapads or anything of the sort, I just love them!)

Best,
gloria s.
"Learn. Think. Act." Blog - gloriashin.com