Women Travel: Solving the tampon conundrum
By Andrea Davoust
Escaping from it all? Almost! The moon and its bloody cycles (sorry) will follow you anywhere you go on this planet…so how do you deal with having your period on the road? Pack a year’s worth of feminine supplies? Cross your fingers and hope that if Coca-Cola has reached that remote Nepalese village, so will have other civilized items? V!VA shares tips to not let Nature ruin your trip.
1/ Zap it!
Who needs a period anyway? Just do away with it altogether! If you are on a contraceptive pill, take the active tablets back-to-back for a few months. After all, manufacturers only introduced the period break because they (men, no doubt) figured it would otherwise feel unnatural. So don’t worry about skipping the bleeding. However conventional wisdom has it that it is best not to take the pill continuously for longer than three months in a row. Simply consult your doctor (link to http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/birthcontrolandcontraception/203096.html) before leaving, for advice and an adequate supply of your pill!
Photo by Dani Lurie
2/ Pack it!
If you simply know that you will never find the exact brand and make of tampons or pads you feel comfortable with…carry a supply from home. Anyway peace of mind only comes at the price of a bit more stuff in your suitcase – though if you are good packer, your stock shouldn’t take up more space than a couple of rolled socks. “I find that OB products, since they are so small and compact, are ideal for long-term travel. They take up a quarter of the space than others,” writes Delara.
3/ Risk it!
Let’s face it, women the world over have their periods, even in the remotest African bush. So sanitary protections are available everywhere, right? Anywhere in Europe, North America and most of Asia, yes. Ditto in the large cities of the developing world, where pharmacies are usually well stocked. In the backwaters of Africa or Central Asia…guess again! “I once had to buy some in a small Brazilian village. ‘Twasn’t pretty. I could only find massive mattress-like things,” writes Stephanie. But there will always be a local solution. Plus, haven’t you ever wondered how women of the Amazon jungle or Himalayan villages coped? Time to find out!
4/ Cup it!
Photo by Michelle Tribe
Goodbye disposable products, hello re-usable, eco-friendly cups! Menstrual cups, which were invented in the 1930s but never really took off, are making a strong comeback. Now made of silicone instead of the more allergenic latex, these 5-cm eggcup-shaped devices are inserted in the vagina, collect the menstrual flow, then emptied and rinsed every few hours. “Yuuuuuck!?” Yet increasing numbers have become converts. “It takes a little bit of practice to insert, but it will be perfect for my six-month trip through South America,” says Sylviana, who has just crash-tested the device at home. Just be aware that you need access to potable or boiled water to clean it and avoid infections. Main brands are: Divacup, Mooncup and Keeper.
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