Mooncups...What the??? I can hear you all say in unison. Well, at least, that was my reaction. I know they have been around for a while however I had only just discovered them in the last year. I have used a Moon Cup for the last 4-5 cycles now and have not looked back. It is brilliant!

There are a few reasons behind me searching for an alternative to Tampons and Sanitary Pads. Apart from the Environmental issues of a world with such a 'Throw Away' attitude, health and expense also were of great importance to me. I must confess, I too flushed tampons down the loo for years. I have always had alternative views when it came to the environment, however, once it was gone, it was gone and I didn't really think twice. I feel incredibly guilty about that these days. Subconsciously, in my poor defense, I assumed, 'it's Cotton and it will just disintegrate....' Then, one day Mum and I (the only women in our household) had a very embarrassing situation. Our backyard had an easement running through it, being a Sewer Drain. That day we woke up the toilet over flowing into the bathroom...GROS! It was the weekend and we called the Plumber. Poor bloke was knee deep in it. It was horrible. When my Dad asked him what the problem was. He proceeded to tell us there was a blockage of tampons. My God, mum and I just turned red with embarrassment. We didn't want to show our faces...so it was a good excuse to get out of the house and go shopping! It was the sewer for everyone up hill from us too but boy that brought it home for me. However, that was years ago and I still continued to use tampons...so the other reasons for my change follow.

Without too much detail, I have Endometriosis and heavy periods and to go through a large box of tampons a month was easy peasy! I was not about to use the washable cloth pads, and couldn't think of anything worse. It was the last thing I felt like doing amidst dealing with everything else let alone the discomfort of wearing a pad. Many women use them and I salute you, but not for me.

Then over the years I started to learn just how bad Tampons really were. There is some very scary info out there if you were to research Tampons and Sanitary Products..

My biggest reason to change to Mooncups was to improve my Reproductive Health. I had found links in the text I was reading between Dioxins and Endometriosis among other reproductive problems and Cancer.

Dioxins are a family of 75 poisonous chemical compounds. They are produced as by-products during the manufacture of, or burning, of plastic and other chlorinated compounds including herbicides. So I straightaway switched to Organic Unbleached Tampons.

I cannot believe that we (women united) use these products for such a sensitive and important area of our bodies. Lack of education, acceptance of mass production and use gives us a false feeling of safety. Dioxins are toxic and cancer-associated chemicals to our female and male reproductive systems. Fibres can also be left behind to create breeding ground for bacteria and dioxin poisoning. When I was at School I remember one of the girls had forgotten to take out her tampon at the end of her period. She had not realized until her next period and from what I remember was quite ill because of it.

So although, Organic Chlorine Bleach Free Tampons were definitely a step forward I was still no totally happy. I was still throwing them into landfill and they were still bleached with Hydrogen Peroxide (not sure how bad that was and it didn't sound natural enough to me and my 'special spot') or Oxygen Bleaching, which i had trouble trusting, and they were now costing me more than ever.

So I found and ordered a Mooncup made from Silicon. Not that expensive really for a one time investment that I could make back in no time. When it arrived, I looked at it and thought how the HELL is that going to fit! It seemed huge. After playing around with it for a bit to figure it out, I boiled it to sterilize it. I had spoke to a few girls about using it and advice they had for first time users, which came in handy.

I hope this helps you to choose an alternative to tampons. If you need more information and would like to email me privately, please do so. Other wise, use the link I have on this site to access the Moon Cup site where you will find more information.

About the Author...My name is Jodie De Pascali and I am a full believer in Natural Health. Our body is created with the most incredible capabilities to heal itself. If you are interesting in the a more Natural and Non Toxic Life, you will find all sorts of interesting information on my Blog http://www.cleanerlife.blogspot.com . I am here to help you in anyway i can so feel free to contact me through my blog at anytime. If you would like to know more about how to use the Moon Cup...I am generous with information on my blog...sorry if TMI ;). Bye and best wishes. Where to buy a Mooncup http://www.mooncup.co.uk/wc.php?u=1614

Source: www.articlealley.com