Midwife talks about main doubts about menstruation

Menstrual visibility has been talked about more and more often: a worldwide movement designed to bring to the fore the taboo topic that still limits the lives of many young women and women. The proposal idealized by a German NGO in 2014 and adopted worldwide by several organizations seeks to disseminate and defend menstrual health in various aspects such as the lack of access to basic intimate hygiene items and even the need to break beliefs that still surround the theme and cause women to still be stigmatized, excluded and discriminated against.

In Brazil, Mariana Betiolia specialist in intimate health and a midwife, is an example of this fight and since 2010, with the creation of her brand Inciclo – the first to produce and sell menstrual cups in the country – she has been working to bring, in addition to practical, sustainable and economically viable solutions, education about the theme for women, young people and their families.

Whether as a volunteer in expeditions to communities far from large centers such as those on the banks of Manaus, or through the Novo Ciclo Project – a partnership between Inciclo and ESPRO born in 2021 to offer access to menstrual cups and education to young people in the country- Mariana searches through from simple didactics to explaining female anatomy, how the menstrual cycle works, the best way to perform intimate hygiene and, finally, how to use a menstrual cup.

What seems obvious to part of Brazilian women, for another large portion it is still a little explored subject, even in 2022. “There are simple doubts, such as where the pee comes out or if it is possible to urinate using a collector”, Mariana explained.

“When I present the collector, some say that they like the product, but that their husband doesn’t let them use it. There is still a big delay regarding the autonomy of our own body”, pointed out the expert.

The lack of information or even the shame of seeking instruction often end up affecting the health of these women. A survey by the New Cycle Project pointed out that 37% of the interviewees have already used other products to replace the pad; Among them pieces of cloth or old clothes, toilet paper and cotton. Mariana also says that she has already heard reports in which breadcrumbs were the alternative found to deal with the period of menstrual flow.

“Product for menstruation should be considered a basic hygiene item. People who use tampons for a long time or inadequate substitutes put their own health at risk and end up developing serious gynecological problems.”, he said.

This same survey carried out at the end of last year also shows that the sources of information for these young women and women are limited to what they find on the internet or through conversations with close female relatives such as the mother, who often does not have access to all the information available. Among the young women who responded to the survey, 10% had not even received instruction before or after their first menstruation.

“There is still great discomfort in approaching the subject indoors. Menstruation is still seen by many as something negative, dirty and even disgusting. It is necessary to break this taboo and treat menstruation as a natural cycle of the female body”, commented Marianna.

Another great abyss that surrounds the theme is that of menstrual poverty still present in the country. For those who do not have access to basic hygiene items, the lack of information can be even more harmful with regard to menstruation.

“To demystify menstruation is to bring up the subject in all spheres, including public policy. There are girls and women who still miss work or school due to lack of access to adequate menstrual hygiene products”, said the CEO of Inciclo, drawing attention to the alarming numbers of the New Cycle Project survey which points out that 32% of the interviewees have already gone through a situation of lack of money to buy sanitary pads. The impossibility of purchasing the basic intimate hygiene item has already caused 20% to miss school and 11% not to show up for work.

“We have girls and women who are limited during their menstrual flow days. They are unable to carry on with day to day tasks because they cannot deal with the blood during that period. Providing access to intimate hygiene items is a way to guarantee gender equality and provide a basic situation for these people to be able to continue with their routine without interruptions”, reflected.

Still on menstrual poverty, the CEO of Inciclo sees menstrual cups as part of the solution to this situation. When she found out about the item on a trip to Canada, the midwife was delighted with the practicality of the item and its sustainable bias: unlike disposable pads, the same cup can be used for up to 3 years, generating a smaller amount of waste. By bringing the collector to Brazil with Inciclo and presenting the option to the Brazilian women, Mariana realized that in addition to being practical and sustainable, it could also be a more economical option. “The cups can stay up to 12 hours inside the woman’s vagina without any risk. After this period, simply remove, clean with soap and water and reintroduce. In addition to being very practical and the issue of garbage, there is also the economy involved, since you buy a cup and can use it for up to 3 years without any other expense”he explained.

“When we divide the cost of a cup over 36 months, the monthly cost comes out to around R$ 1.91, much less than that of a pack of pads. Still counting on government tax incentives such as tax exemptions as in some countries, the price would drop even more and we would have an economically viable, sustainable and still practical solution to the issue of menstrual poverty”, analyzed.