Seeking a solution to expensive sanitary products

The various sanitary products available on the market for women, including pads, tampons and menstrual cups, are not only expensive, but also constitute a number of issues regarding health, the environment and culture.

Scotland was the first country to make menstrual products completely free for women last month, which raises questions about what should be done in South Africa. 

Although tax free since October 2018, sanitary products cost a pretty penny. A box of 32 Lil-Lets tampons on average costs R48 and a pack of 20 Always sanitary pads, R42. Over a period of ten years, a South African woman could spend approximately R5 760 on tampons or R5 040 on sanitary pads. A menstrual cup is more expensive, but you can use it for up to ten years before having to replace it. This product’s price ranges from R200 to R750, depending on the brand you use. 

Students of the North-West University (NWU) Potchefstroom campus also have to pay these prices, as free sanitary products are not distributed on campus. 

According to Christien Pretorius, a primary healthcare practitioner at the Health Centre on the NWU Potchefstroom campus, sanitary products also carry health risks, however slim. “The risk of toxic shock is always there. [This] is a bacterial infection that can occur in the vaginal channel when bacteria enter a woman’s bloodstream. But if you use tampons, sanitary pads and menstrual cups correctly in terms of hygiene, all of these products are safe to use,” she said.

Toxic shock is caused when a tampon is not replaced regularly or can occur when the fibers of the tampon scratch the vagina, which creates an opening for bacteria to enter the bloodstream. 

The use of tampons and sanitary pads could also have environmental implications when it comes to the disposing of these products. 

According to research, sanitary waste to some degree contains a fair amount of plastic that can cause harm to the environment. However, Devlin Palm, quality and compliance executive of Bidvest Steiner, who disposes of the NWU Potchefstroom campus’ sanitary waste through their special “She Bin”, disagrees. “I think there is an impact on the environment, but there is a fair bit of biodegradability in sanitary waste that goes to the landfill site. The products are similarly absorbent like toilet paper waste,” he said. 

Another side to the debate around sanitary products involves cultural norms. In some cultures there are strict rules when it comes to the use of specific menstrual products. 

Umamah Bakharia, an honours student in journalism and media studies, explained how the Indian culture prohibits the use of specific menstrual products. “We are not allowed to use tampons or menstrual cups, because it is believed that when you insert these products, you break your virginity, which is frowned upon if you are not married yet,” she said. 

Keaoleboha Sefako, an honours student in journalism and media studies, says that the black culture believes some sanitary products are harmful to women. “We prefer to buy pads, because as black people we believe that tampons can damage your womanhood by preventing you from having a baby,” Sefako said.

Bakharia however disagrees with these cultural requirements. “As a woman, you should be able to make a choice based on your body and not based on other people’s opinion on your body.”