ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <HTML><HEAD> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="ecomensescss.css"> <TITLE>Reusable Menstrual Products - www.ecomenses.com</TITLE></HEAD> <body> <center> <img src="Heading_rmp.jpg"> <!-- Topbar Menu --> <center> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="887" bgcolor=#F7FAFB class="SideMenuInner" align="center" > <div align="center"> <font color="524a63" size="2"> <a href="index.html">Home</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="links.html">Links</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="advocacy.html">Advocacy</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="celebration.html">Celebration</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="http://www.donatepads.org" target="_blank">Pad donations</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="http://clothpadreviews.forumotion.com" target="_blank">Reviews</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="bleedingpattern.html">Amount of Flow</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="http://www.vermilionmagazine.com" target="_blank">Vermilion Magazine</a>&nbsp;~&nbsp; <a href="contact.html">Contact</a> </div></td> </tr> </table> </center> <!-- end of Topbar Menu--> <!-- start of SideMenu --> <table border="0" width="900" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="10" ><tr> <td width="150" background="Sidescrolls.jpg" bgcolor=#F7FAFB height="298" valign="top" align="left" class="SideMenuInner"> <font color="#524a63" size="2"> <a href="why.html">Why Reusable?</a><br>&nbsp;<br> <b>Cloth Pads</b><br> <a href="clothpads.html">About Cloth Pads</a><br> <a href="padstyles.html">Cloth Pad Styles</a><br> <a href="how.html">How to use them</a><br> <a href="washing.html">Cloth Pad Washing</a><br> <a href="proscons.html">Pros & Cons</a><br> <a href="FAQ.html">Cloth Pad FAQ</a><br> <a href="padtips.html">Tips and Help</a><br> <a href="links_buy.html">Where to buy Pads</a><br> <a href="fabric.html">Pad Fabrics</a><br> <a href="padsugg.html">Starting a Stash</a><br> <a href="http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/clothpads/DIYpads/DIY.html">Make your own pads</a><br> <a href="sellingcloth.html">Selling Pads</a><br> <a href="whycost.html">Cost of Pads</a><br> <a href="padhistory.html">Pad History</a> <br>&nbsp;<br> <b>Menstrual Cups</b><br> <a href="Cups.html">About Cups</a><br> <a href="menstrualcupbrands.html">Brand info</a><br> <a href="http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/category/comparisons/">Comparisons</a><br> <a href="CupsFAQ.html">Cup FAQ</a><br> <a href="Cups2.html#Folding">Cup Folding</a><br> <a href="Cups2.html">Tips & Help</a><br> <a href="MyLunette.html">My First Experience</a><br> <a href="CupsTSS.html">TSS & Cups</a><br> <a href="Cups_history.html">Cup History</a> <br>&nbsp;<br> <b>Other Products</b><br> <a href="sponges">Sea Sponges</a><br> <a href="reusabletampon">Reusable Tampons</a><br> <a href="interlabialpad.html">Interlabial Pads</a><br> <a href="freebleeding.html">Free Bleeding</a> <a href="undies.html">Underpants</a> </td> <!-- end of the SideMenu --> <td width="719" bgcolor=#ffffff class="content" valign="top" align="left"> <font color="#000000" size="2"> <!-- Start of page content --> Using a reusable menstrual product is not only more environmentally friendly and cost effective, but they can have health benefits as well. There are several choices in Reusable Menstrual Products, some of which are explained in this website.<br>&nbsp;<br> <table width="700"> <tr><td ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=TOP><img src="ecomenses.com_padpicture.jpg"></td> <td><Font size="2"><font color="#698882"><b><img src="heading_clothpads.gif"></b></font><br> These are essentially a washable fabric version of a disposable menstrual pad. Mostly made by small businesses, these come in a huge variety of types. Using fabrics such as bamboo or cotton, they can be very absorbent and some even include a waterproof layer to give the same security as a disposable pad. Colourful fabrics can add to the positive aspect of using these, as can soft fabrics such as velour. Cloth Pads can be reused for many years. After they have been worn, they can be rinsed clean or left to soak and washed in a washing machine with the rest of the laundry. Some women like to use the water on their gardens to make use of the nutrients the blood gives.</td> </tr></table> <table width="700"> <tr><td align="right"><Font size="2"><font color="#698882"><b><img src="heading_menstrualcups.gif"></b></font><br> There are now several brands of Menstrual Cup available around the world. A Menstrual Cup is a soft bell shaped item which is used inside the vagina to collect the flow. They are removed to be emptied, rinsed out and replaced. They can be boiled in a pot of water to be sterilised before and after each period. The one cup can last many years, can be used while swimming or sleeping and does not have the same TSS risks as tampons do. They also have a much greater capacity than tampons and can safely be kept in place for 12 hours.</td> <td ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=TOP><br><img src="http://menstrualcups.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/ww-clothpads-org_0709_cupgrasssmaller.jpg"></td> </tr></table> <br> <table width="700"> <tr><td ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=TOP><br><img src="ecomenses.com_spongesm.jpg"></td> <td><Font size="2"><font color="#698882"><b><img src="heading_sponges.gif"></b></font><br> These are a naturally occurring sea sponge that are used in the vagina to absorb the flow, much like a tampon. They are moistened for use, allowing them to be comfortably inserted. They are washed and reused, and can be boiled in a pot of water or submerged in sterilising solution if desired. The sponge tampons aren't as long term reusable as other options, as the sponge naturally degrades over time, but they can be easier to use than a Menstrual Cup and are a cheaper option</td> </tr></table> <br> <table width="700"> <tr><td align="right"><Font size="2"><font color="#698882"><b><img src="heading_tamponsandinterlabial.gif"></b></font><br> Another option is a Reusable Tampon, used like a regular disposable tampon, but washed and reused. As the rayon in commercial disposable tampons is one of the factors in TSS, cotton tampons (disposable or reusable) are a safer option.<br>&nbsp;<br>An Interlabial Pad is basically a tampon worn externally in the labia, rather than internally. These cannot be worn while swimming, but can offer a step between an internal product or a pad for those who don't want to use an internal product.</td> <td ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=TOP><img src="ecomenses.com_reusabletampons.jpg"></td> </tr></table> <!-- End of content and start of footer --> </td></tr> </table> <table width="870"> <tr><td ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=TOP><font color="#C8DAD9">www.ecomenses.com/www.clothpads.org (C) Obsidian 2002-2010. 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