Page 40 - AVN Intimate Winter 2020

RED GOES GREEN
Earth-friendly solutions to ‘The Curse’≥ BY KIM AIRS
The Greener Choice Adult pleasure product manufacturer Fun Factory offers the Fun Cup (above and opposite page), an alternative to traditional “sanitary products.”
trace amounts of dioxin (a cancer-causing byproduct when wood pulp is turned into rayon),
magical things are created to insert into
I n the adult pleasure product world, where
chlorine (for bleaching), fragrances, and several other not-so-body-friendly ingredients.
women’s willing vaginas, there are countless
Unfortunately, tampon manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients of what is used
products available to promote squeals of
in making these insertable blood stoppers. Add to that the non-eco-friendly plastic that’s used
orgasmic ecstasy. But until recently, most adult
to make tampon insertion more comfortable, instead of the more earth-friendly thin cardboard
boutiques didn’t put much focus on addressing
insertion tubes commonly used for less expensive tampons. These non-recyclable plastic
a normal bodily function—“that time of the
tampon tubes can easily pass through water treatment plants and wind up on the seashore,
month”—that women have experienced since the
where they are fondly referred to as “beach whistles.”
dawn of time.
In an article from the online journal “Well and Good,” Talia Frenkel, the female developer
Getting a visit from Aunt Flo. Checking into the
of a line of tampons made with organic cotton (albeit with a plastic applicator!), is quoted as
Red Roof Inn. On the rag. Riding the cotton pony.
saying, “We put between 10,000 and 11,000 tampons into our bodies throughout our lifetime.”
Shark week. And, simply, The Curse.
Products meant to accommodate women’s
menstruation have always been available at
“Any woman with a period should be able to choose the menstrual product that’s right for them, and we want people to have the information they need to make their decision.”
pharmacies and general stores, and the natural
progression of being available in adult stores
seems, well, natural. But these period products
have been considered more as basic necessities
for women than objects associated with sexual
— Sonny Farnsworth, Fun Factory
pleasure. With the popularity of silicone toys in
That’s a lot of tampons and a lot of one-time use plastic applicators tossed into the trash.
the adult market, it makes sense for the aware
Let’s not get started on what menstrual pads (aka “sanitary napkins”) are made of. We just
consumer to connect the red dots and associate a
know they are not environmentally friendly, either, with their bulk and materials in no way
silicone product with that monthly bloodletting as
being recyclable. Also, many states apply what’s commonly known as the “Pink Tax,” which
well.
makes tampons and sanitary napkins taxable while condoms are not.
For decades, products made for menstruation
have been made of material that isn’t considered
exactly body friendly. This includes tampons made
with cotton and rayon, with the latter releasing
Even with the invention of modern tampons and their game-changing paper tube
applicators in the early 1930s and with the applicator-free and finger-inserted “o.b.” tampon in
the 1940s, the choices of utilizing alternative menstrual products remained slim.
It is becoming more apparent that women of a newer generation, who are also more
40 | INTIMATE | WINTER 2020