New Zealand Listener - May 26, 2018

LISTENER MAY 26 2018

by Nicky Pellegrino

HEALTH

ThisLife

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previously had to wear multiple

tampons and pads to avoid a messy

disaster. Swimmers, too, are grateful

not to have to deal with waterlogged

tampons.

However, not all menstrual cups

are created equal, says Robyn McLean

of Kiwi brand Hello Cup. A former

journalist, she set up her company

with childhood friend, registered

nurse Mary Bond, after using a cup

herself.

“I have really heavy periods,” she

says. “When I first used a cup I won-

dered why I did not know about this

when I was younger.”

As the duo worked on developing

their ideal cup, they assessed many

products from around the world.

“There are some great ones out there,

but also some dodgy ones,” says

Menstrual cups

get an update

An option for managing

menstruation is going

through a revival, but it’s

not without risk.

NUTRITION • FOOD • WINE • PSYCHOLOGY • SPORT

patent for a proto-

type made of rubber,

but American women

were reluctant to use

it. Now, however, versions made

of silicone or a type of medical

grade plastic called thermoplastic

elastomer (TPE) are becoming increas-

ingly popular. Folded and inserted

into the vagina where they open and

form a sealed cup, they don’t have to

be changed as frequently as tampons

and pads; they smell and leak less

and, they free women with heavy

periods from having to get up during

the night.

Athletes have been early adopters,

particularly distance runners who

F

or decades, menstruating women were

limited to a choice between disposable

tampons and sanitary pads,

but now there is a mood for

change. A younger genera-

tion is acutely aware of the

environmental impact of

the waste we produce and concerned

about what they put inside their bodies.

So the search is on for a better alternative.

Cottage industries have sprung up

producing hand-stitched reusable pads in

pretty fabrics. You can buy period-proof undies

with built-in wicking fabric and even washable

crocheted tampons. But the most practical option

so far seems to be menstrual cups.

These have been around since 1937 when US

actress and inventor Leona Chalmers obtained a

Robyn McLean, far left,

and Mary Bond.