#138: Getting Over the "Ick" Factor (Friday, August 21)

Ok, so this post is primarily for the ladies, but it's a great suggestion for guys who want their wives, daughters, sisters and other women in their lives to consider a green option for menstrual cycles.

Introducing the menstrual cup, a reusable alternative to pads and tampons. Now before you get all grossed out, consider the facts:

• Over 55.9 million women (in the U.S. alone in 2000) are monthly users of disposable feminine hygiene products.
  
• The 41-year menstruation span (ages 11-52) creates billions of pounds of disposable feminine hygiene products.
  
• In 1998, the annual figures for the U.S. were estimated at 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons going into over-burdened landfills each year.
  

I'm still trying to figure out how it actually works, but I heard about it this week and thought it'd be an interesting green idea to share.

Thoughts?