Menstrual Sponges

something to think about - Menstrual Sponges


Some women use small sea sponges (not the cellulose kind used in the kitchen) as all natural tampons. You just wet a sponge under the faucet, squeeze it out and push it in as deep as you can with one finger. Remember to aim toward the small of your back.. You pull it out with your fingers as well, and rinse it out in the sink and reuse it. A sponge should be thrown away as soon as it starts to look ratty. If they start to smell funny, they can be rinsed with a little vinegar in water.

Sea sponges cannot be sold as "menstrual sponges" because they are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for that use, but most health food stores sell them as "cosmetic sponges". Look for small, yellowish natural sponges which are about 2 inches long.

Advantages:

Some women find them more comfortable than tampons. One problem with tampons is that they can cause dryness and irritation by being too absorbant. The sea sponges are more gentle.

They are not bleached like tampons. They are used multiple times, which cuts down on waste.

Disadvantages:

They are not as convenient as tampons: you have to rinse them out (which can be tough in a public restroom), and maybe carry a used one around if you are away from home.

They require that you be comfortable with your body because you have to stick your fingers in your vagina to get the sponge in and out. They might take some practice to use.

Toxic Shock Sydrome. Almost no research has been done on sponges used for menstruation, but when you put anything inside you for a while you should be concerned about TSS. Since they are not made of synthetic materials, and do not have a string, we might guess that they would be safer than a tampon.

They come out of the ocean, and the ocean is polluted, and we don't know how that pollution affects the sponges and how that might affect your body. Sponges from Florida and the Caribbean might be grown in less polluted water than sponges from the Mediterranean.

(GOOGLE THIS AND YOU CAN FIND PLACES ON LINE TO BUY!)

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