Washing and drying reusable sanitary pads

Abstract: Period poverty is a problem mainly found in places characterized by poverty. The lack of means for women and girls to properly handle their menstruation is the essence of the problem. With a lack of both quantity and quality regarding water often being an issue in such places, the hygiene is a constant challenge. Two different kinds of sanitary products are used globally, disposable and reusable. The reusable ones are often being made of cotton or other absorbent materials. Regardless the material, reusable products need cleaning between the times of use, which could be a challenge when water is not always accessible. To have a reusable sanitary pad that efficiently can be cleaned with low amounts of resources is important, especially in impoverished places. Spacerpad is a reusable sanitary pad and a part of a project at the University of Borås. The aim for the project is to reduce period poverty and to educate women and girls in menstrual hygiene management. The pad is made of polyester which does not absorb blood or water, instead the pad merely contains the fluids. This thesis was conducted as a field study in Nairobi, Kenya. The study aimed to simulate a menstruation, in order to analyze the microbial activity in two different reusable sanitary pads, during as well as after menstruation. With the influences from interviews and resources found in Kibera (a slum in Nairobi) a simulation of five days was executed, with nutrient solution instead of menstrual blood. The Spacerpad and a cotton pad were exposed to the same procedures and the effects of washing and drying were studied. The microbial activity was measured with the help of dipslides, a growth medium. The results of this study show that both Spacerpad and the cotton pad could be carriers of heavy growth of bacteria. Increasing microbial activity throughout the simulation as the days went by, ended with a dividing result after a soap wash as the final washing procedure. The pad made of cotton still carried above slight growth, compared to Spacerpad that showed almost no activity after the final cleanse. Even though the microbial activity reached high levels during the simulation, the fact that the Spacerpad can be cleaned with limited resources could be reason enough to consider the Spacerpad as a sufficiently sanitary product in an impoverished place like Kibera.