Preventive measure
When period products are not available or sanitary period products unaffordable, women may improvise with managing menstruation. Those substitutions may cause more harm than good by increasing vaginal infections.
Included in the powder formula is an antimicrobial polymer to impair the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium associated with toxic shock syndrome. This is a rare but potentially fatal illness caused by a bacterial infection related to the use of period products.
Test results indicate the inclusion of the polymer was effective in inhibiting bacteria, while also not decreasing the blood absorption capability of the powder formula.
Biodegradable option
Derived from natural sources, seaweed, and sugar alcohol, the alginate-glycerol powder formulation is biodegradable and safe to use.
“It’s found everywhere in foods and it’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so it’s considered safe,” said Hsu, an affiliated faculty member of the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens. “It is in the boba tea or the cheap sushi you get in restaurants.”
Most used period products take over 500 years to biodegrade, and each woman may use up to 15,000 period products in a lifetime, according to Hsu, who also said women’s menstrual product waste is one of the most frequently collected trash.
“In talking to patients, it has become evident that they are looking for more sustainable, eco-friendly and reusable options,” Champine said.
Women’s health progress
“Women are half the population and go through menstruation every month,” Hsu said. “It’s a natural process that dramatically affects quality of life. For some, it can be debilitating.”
According to Hsu, 46 percent of women in Virginia are of menstrual age, which is 26 percent of all Virginians,as of 2020 and roughly a fourth of the state’s total population. While menstruation is not a disease, it does impact absenteeism in the workplace and in school.
“A woman will have a period for approximately five days every 30 days throughout her lifetime, which is roughly 2,200 days, or 6.2 years of her life,” Hsu said. “For comparison, the average American spends 8.3 years watching television and 4.5 years eating.”
The research is funded by Virginia’s Commonwealth Health Research Board, and Hsu sees this as just the beginning of his venture into promoting women’s health issues. Bataglioli is hopeful for new opportunities in the design of menstrual products. “Using biomaterials can expand the potential functionality of these menstrual products. Women face an array of challenges related to menstrual health, and we think using advanced functional materials can help us come up with innovative solutions.”
“I think women’s health is becoming more and more something people want to research. This is kind of my first step in a series of things to take care of women,” Hsu said.
In addition to Hsu, Bataglioli, and Kaur, biological sciences undergraduate Elizabeth Geddes and John Muller, postdoctoral associate in the Department of Entomology were involved in the project.
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