So you are in the grocery store, shopping as you normally do. You know your menstrual cycle, so you decide to head over to the aisle where the tampons and sanitary napkins. You make somewhat of a rolling stop, grab your normal brand and you keep moving. But have you ever stopped and actually looked what’s in your favorite brand of “sanitary” napkins?

Shalanda Jones posed this question to herself one day, and soon learned the truth, thanks to the Now We No global movement. Within the past few months the Now We No campaign has made its way to the Lowcountry and sparked a much needed discussion in communities about the harmful effects of sanitary napkins and tampons, as well as other products. Shalanda, as one of their many representatives and advocates in the Lowcountry, encouraging people overall to be mindful of the products that they use. What can be appreciated about Shalanda the most is her devotion to the truth. Through events, public speaking, and social media, she uses her knowledge to educate not just women, but men as well, on the harm that the “sanitary” napkins can cause a woman.

What is intended to absorb our monthly flow, and protect a woman’s most precious organ is actually hurting us the most. The first time Shalanda said this to me I was perplexed. Scared. Shocked. What do you mean my sanitary napkins are hurting me? And then came the demonstration. To watch her take, my usual brand of sanitary napkins, and actually tear it one of them open to see the plastic, recycled trash, and dye, I wanted to just throw my whole vagina away.

Apart of the Now We No campaign, are the Cherish pads. So while she is exposing the truth and identify a problem for ALL women, she follows up with a wonderful solution. Cherish pads made of cotton, and armed with a unique negative ion strip, has made a woman’s worst time of the month, her best. Unlike the plastic, recycled trash we’ve be accustomed to, these pads help you stay dry, feel fresh, and live better. Let’s not forget the health benefits that these pads offer to women, including reduce cramps and inflammation, as well as reducing unwanted odors. When Shalanda first showed me the tiny Cherish pads, it just seemed too good to be true!

Now I’ll admit, even after doing the research and seeing the demonstration, I was a little skeptical of trying the Cherish pads. I’ve been using one brand of sanitary napkins since I was a young girl! Now everything that I thought I knew, and thought I was doing right, was wrong! And Lord knows, I hate to be wrong. So I swallowed my pride and I tried it out. I have a heavy flow, so right away seeing how thin the pads were, I was worried. I thought, “oh God, this stuff is gonna leak off the pad and it’s gonna be bad.” I put one on in the morning, fresh out the shower, and I went to work.

Now when your cycle is on, a woman’s bod y feels a certain kind of way. Mines usually feels somewhat tense, and somewhat drained, like all my nerves were and good feelings were being swallowed into the black hole that is my uterus on my period. My body knew my period was on, so I prepared myself mentally to feel weird all day, but…I felt fine. Of course I could feel my vagina draining like I left the faucet running, but I didn’t feel bad! My head didn’t hurt, I didn’t feel sick, it was so weird! I did random 2-4 hour “panty checks,” in the bathroom to make sure none of my flow left off the pad and believe it or not, every day that I wore it, my cycle was lighter.

As weird as it was to feel good for a change while on my cycle, I had no choice but to wave my white flag. So as much as I hated to be wrong again, I was sold! I had no choice but to step my game up when it came to my health. If I’ve learned nothing else from Shalanda and the Now We No campaign, it’s the importance to question the things we use. Question how we use them. Question what they do to us. There harm in thinking, and researching, the next time before you drop it in your shopping cart.

Now I Know: My first time trying Cherish Pads

Kimberly Bowman

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