Global Women's Voices: Share Personal Stories

LS Aravinda, India

Submitted by: LS Aravinda

Would I ever attain the peace of Anne Frank, who cherished her monthly
cycle as her own sweet secret? For twenty years I wondered, and now I
know.

It was in a tribal village in Maharashtra, in India, that I first
learned about the cup six years ago. Not from a villager mind you.
For all I know, they may be practicing the primal system described in
Our Bodies Ourselves. It was the rest of us non-tribal visitors to
the area who had to discuss our sanitary needs. No trash cans were in
sight, so those using disposables tidily packed and carried them back
to the city. Those of us using cloth washed and dried them on the
rooftops. One young woman from Canada, however, told me that she used
a cup made of rubber that she could simply empty, wash, and reinsert
in less than a minute.

How many hours, how many gallons of water, and how much trouble could
I have saved had I tried the cup then? Now when I tell others about
the cup and they have qualms, I can only smile. Even when I finally
decided to get one, years after knowing about them, many moons waxed
and waned before I actually did.

It was my commitment to a cleaner environment that had motivated me to
try cloth pads, They relieved other problems as well – no odor, less
leakage, and so much more comfortable. When they proved their mettle
through all my jumps and squats in dance class, there was definitely
no going back. I used them till they turned to rags. Ten years
later, after having a child and preparing to ovulate again, I ordered
more cloth pads online, and looked again at the cup. I consulted
online friends, and finally, I got one.. And looked forward to my
next period like never before.

After using it during our recent trip to the Grand Canyon, one
remarkable difference struck me. I heaved no sigh of relief at end of
my flow, just as I'd not met its onset with so much as an "oh dear."
It really doesn't matter when Aunt Flo comes and goes.

Aravinda

updated: 8/5/2005 5:53:00 PM