It's that time of the month again; time to reach for the pain killers, the chocolate and either a sanitary napkin (a pad) or a tampon. If you're female, and menstruating regularly, you really have no choice but to use feminine hygiene products because–well, it's just good hygiene. But according to Mary Thomas, a registered nurse and one local distributor of the Love Moon Anion sanitary napkin, practising good hygiene by using mainstream hygiene products can actually be bad for your health in the long run.
"These products are made with a lot of recycled cotton, which of course has to be bleached to make it look clean. But the chemicals are still on it, and women are putting these chemical-laden napkins next to their most sensitive areas," Thomas said.
According to its Chinese manufacturing company, the Anion sanitary napkin contains unbleached cotton and no chemical additives, making it medically safe for use. But the kicker is really the negative ion chip embedded in each napkin. Negative ions are found in the earth's ozone layer, and according to research that the Anion manufacturers have found, these ions have positive effects on human health.
They have been reported to increase the flow of oxygen throughout the body, relieve stress and depression, purify the blood and lymph nodes, inactivate viruses, bacteria, yeast and fungus and improve sleep patterns, among other things. The manufacturers claim that this chip is antibacterial, treats inflammation, strengthens immunity and can prevent and protect against genital and other diseases, as well as eliminate genital odour during menstruation.
Pure Spa managing director Sonya Roche-Duncan, who sells Anion napkins from the spa's secluded estate in Cascade, is a believer. She initially tried the Anion napkin because she wanted something better for young girls just beginning their menstruation than bleach-filled recycled cotton. She found that the napkin lived up to some of its claims.
"I didn't believe all the other claims before; they had me at no chemicals, and I was like 'well don't try to oversell me now'. But I have to say that the sort of sweaty smell that you get down there was completely gone. And after the third month, the flow (volume) was reduced about 30 or 40 per cent. I suffered with PMS cramps and it did help quite a bit with cramping." Tricia, another user, didn't feel any different while wearing the napkins, except that she was worried about their ability to 'hold up' under the strain of a heavy menstrual flow. "I just felt they were so thin; I kept checking and checking to make sure I didn't have an accident. On the second day, I doubled up, though, so it wasn't so bad." But the traditional medical community dismisses the claims that Anion, and negative ions in general, are good for you.
Detractors of negative ion technology say that although these ions increase the amount of ozone in the breathable atmosphere, the amount of ozone needed to kill bacteria is also poisonous to humans.
They also claim that research proving that negative ions help cure diseases is inconclusive. And a local gynaecologist dismissed the Anion technology, saying that he had not read any real medical research to support its anti-bacterial claims. Still, those who believe in the 'Anion science' are adamant that it works for them.
"This is something that a woman has no choice but to wear, so it has to be healthy," Roche-Duncan said. "I really think it's a great product." Thomas agrees. Although she is past menopause, she said that using the Anion liners helped her experience a feeling of increased well-being, and worked to remove haemorrhoids.
"The Anion sanitary napkin is a gift to women. I think time with so many women experiencing yeast infections, urinary tract infection and other problems with their reproductive system, we have to look to prevention rather than cure." For more information on the Anion sanitary napkin, call 633-4954.
