Short answers, pulled from the story.
Feminine hygiene products divide into disposable and reusable categories. Disposable products include menstrual pads, tampons, and pantyliners. Reusable options include menstrual cups made of silicone, natural rubber, or plastic; cloth menstrual pads; period underwear; menstrual sponges; and menstrual discs, which are designed to collect fluid for up to 12 hours and last over five years.
Douching disrupts the natural balance of vaginal flora and acidity that the body uses to defend itself against infection. Resident bacteria maintain an acidic pH and produce antimicrobial compounds called bacteriocin that block external pathogens. Research found bacterial vaginosis was six times more frequent in women who used a douching agent.
Tampon tax refers to sales tax levied on tampons, pads, and menstrual cups. Parts of the United Kingdom and the United States have abolished it following advocacy campaigns. The UK removed the 5% minimum VAT on sanitary products on the 1st of January 2021, after EU law had previously prevented member states from eliminating that rate.
Some period underwear companies, including Thinx, Ruby Love, and Knix, face class action lawsuits over products alleged to contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. These chemicals may be linked to adverse health outcomes including cancer.
Johnson and Johnson introduced the first commercial sanitary napkin on the American market by the end of the 19th century; it was made of flannel. In Sweden, the earliest commercially launched menstrual hygiene product was the rubber menstrual receptacle, introduced as early as 1879.
In low-income countries, women's choices of menstrual hygiene materials are limited by cost, availability, and social norms. As of 2018, according to the World Health Organization, about 780 million people lacked access to improved water sources and around 2.5 billion lacked improved sanitation. At least half a million women worldwide cannot afford menstrual products adequately, and the cost can cause girls to miss school or drop out entirely.