Why women shouldn’t accept conventional hygiene products.

The one thing I've probably never discussed with any of my girlfriends is my period. We get it. We might mention our hurting tummies. We move on. Never ever have I mentioned any issues that I might have had when inserting tampons or using pads. It's – as you can imagine – not a topic. Ever.

Let's recap: Once a month all of us use bleached cotton & viscose products, which we either wear in our underwear or use internally. Although we usually make a wide curve to avoid non-organic fruit and veggies, we don't hesitate when buying bleached hygienic products for internal use.

What's wrong with us?

"It's comfortable and I've always done it like that," might cross your mind. It has definitely crossed mine. It's easy not to have to deal with any additional decision-making. Also, are there any alternatives?

There are, but I promise you – no one's interested in helping you to find out about them. There is no real economic reason that a menstrual cup would become a topic for western women. Given that every woman spends two to four euros each month on tampons or pads, what company would be crazy enough to want to make you aware of sustainable alternatives? Especially when those sustainable solutions are so sustainable that by winning you as a customer, they would immediately lose any potential future profit from you. The fact that it's bleached and probably not that awesome for your body is not even part of the discussion.

Put simply, it's a big business no one's really interested in disrupting.

I've recently come across a menstrual cup called Ruby Cup. First, I supported them because two of my dear friends have worked there, but then I realised that I'm actually onto something much bigger.

I supported a campaign called #keepgirlsinschool and ordered a Ruby Cup for myself.

Now I know I won't go back. Although I had to get over myself and change my behaviour I've become so used to in the last 14 years, I know it's worth doing it and telling my friends. Asking you to think about switching, means asking you to reconsider what you've accepted as the only option, which you've probably never questioned. I also know that it would take every single one of us and the willingness to tell our girlfriends to make them aware of what we take for granted.

I don't even care about you being more sustainable – I care about all of us not using bleached products inside our bodies. Tampons & pads are a big business. No one's ever been interested in making you switch to a more sustainable product. But you should hold your friends dear enough to tell them. To tell them why they should be using a Ruby Cup and not tampons or pads.