The bloody truth | Sephra Abraham | TEDxHECParis
The speaker argues that menstruation is systematically stigmatized, leading to severe global environmental and health crises from disposable products. The massive waste stream alone equates to a carbon footprint equivalent to 400,000 return flights from Paris to Los Angeles, necessitating open discussion and adopting sustainable alternatives. Evidence of both the health hazard (dioxins, pesticides) and the social hazard (e.g., Chhaupadi ritual) underscores the need for change.
## Speakers & Context
- Speaker (Josephine O'Donnell) addressing an audience of approximately **72 women**.
- Context involves addressing the hidden environmental and health impacts of menstrual hygiene practices and cultural taboos surrounding menstruation.
- The speaker emphasizes that discussion must occur regardless of sex, noting that the audience included **four men** during a recent Paris session.
## Theses & Positions
- Menstruation is a natural bodily function that is currently subject to a profound global taboo, which hinders open discussion about its environmental and health impacts.
- The current reliance on disposable menstrual products creates massive waste streams, quantifiable in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and plastic pollution.
- Menstrual health awareness and the adoption of reusable/sustainable products are critical to combating both environmental damage and bodily contamination risks.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Internal Pollution:** Refers to the chemical cocktail inside products like sanitary napkins or tampons, including dioxins, fragrances, and GMO cotton.
- **Dioxins:** A byproduct released from rayon (a synthetic fibre) when bleached, classified by the EPA as probable carcinogens.
- **Menstrual Hut (Chhaupadi):** A ritualistic isolation practice in Nepal where women are forced to stay outside their homes during menstruation.
- **Low-cost sanitary-napkin dispensers:** Installed to address accessibility issues in various public locations.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Waste Calculation:** Estimating the waste stream based on audience size: **72 women** $\times$ **12 products/month** $\times$ **12 months** = **10,368** disposable products annually for the immediate group.
- **Global Waste Projection:** Scaling the local figure up to estimate over **144 billion** menstrual products sent to landfills annually by the entire population.
- **Incineration:** Using electrical incinerators to convert plastic pads into sterile ash at a temperature of around **300 degrees Celsius**, with new technology being developed to convert resultant toxic gases back into electricity.
- **Sustainable Alternatives Promotion:** Promoting the use of menstrual cups, period underwear, and reusable cloth pads over disposable options.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Historical taboo examples:**
- In South India (last six months): A **14-year-old girl** was confined to a flimsy hut during menstruation, leading to her death in a cyclone.
- Nepal: The *Chhaupadi* system, where women are kept in menstrual huts, resulting in documented deaths from suffocation.
- **Recent Efforts (Paris):** Conducting awareness sessions attended by **26 women** and **four men** in Paris.
- **Impact Measurement (Paris):** Following the Paris sessions, **eight women** who made sustainable switches resulted in **1,000 fewer products** reaching the landfill by the end of **2019**.
## Named Entities
- **Deane De Menezes:** Founder of Red is the New Green.
- **Red is the New Green:** Organization focused on menstrual education and sustainable menstrual products in India.
## Numbers & Data
- Audience size approximation: **72 women**.
- Disposable product use rate (per person): **12 products/month**.
- Annual product count (local): **10,368** disposable products.
- Associated carbon footprint (local): **400kg** of $\text{CO}_2$ (equivalent to one car driving for **10 days** straight).
- Global annual product count: **over 144 billion** menstrual products.
- Global carbon footprint: **over 5.3 million tons** of $\text{CO}_2$ (equivalent to **400,000** return flights from Paris to Los Angeles).
- Product lifespan in landfill: **500 to 800 years**.
- Percentage of world pesticides consumed by GMO cotton: **over 25 percent**.
- Initial knowledge deficit: Over **70 percent** of Indian girls had no idea what a menstrual cycle was when they got their first period.
- Investment comparison: A menstrual cup investment of **30 dollars** lasts at least **five years**, compared to $\sim\text{300 dollars}$ spent on tampons in that time.
## Examples & Cases
- **Waste contamination hazard:** Garbage pickers in developing countries being exposed to soiled menstrual products containing pathogens like **HIV, salmonella, E-coli**.
- **The stigma in India:** A **14-year-old girl** made to remain in a hut in South India during a cycle, dying in a cyclone.
- **The stigma in Nepal:** The *Chhaupadi* system forcing women into menstrual huts, leading to suffocation deaths.
- **Accessibility Issue (USA):** An estimated **200,000 homeless women** in the U.S. alone struggle with access to menstrual products monthly.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Menstrual Cup / Period Underwear / Reusable Cloth Pads:** Sustainable alternatives promoted for reducing waste.
- **Low-cost sanitary-napkin dispensers:** Installed in schools, hospitals, and offices to improve accessibility.
- **Electrical Incinerator:** Device that converts plastic pads to sterile ash at **300 degrees Celsius**.
## References Cited
- **Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):** Source classifying dioxins as probable carcinogens.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The core premise of the taboos (superstition) is difficult to debunk using purely logical arguments.
- The initial shock factor of the local waste estimate sometimes distracts from the systemic, cultural failure to discuss the subject openly.
## Methodology
- Education and advocacy model employed by Red is the New Green.
- Methods include conducting hygiene awareness sessions for adolescents, educators, and parents.
- Physical intervention: Installation of dispensers and advanced waste management tech (incinerators).
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The primary call to action is to normalize and open public discussion about menstruation—*"we need to make menstruation great again."*
- Individuals using disposable products should actively switch to sustainable alternatives like menstrual cups or cloth pads.
- Community action, like the Paris group, can drive measurable change by educating peers.
## Implications & Consequences
- The continuation of the current model leads to catastrophic environmental contamination and profound human health risks (infection, carcinogen exposure).
- Open dialogue is the necessary catalyst to dismantle both societal taboos and physical waste streams.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"What's in my sanitary napkin? What's my tampon made out of?"*
- *"We're exposing them to a plethora of disease causing micro-organisms: HIV, salmonella, E-coli, just to name a few."*
- *"We need to make menstruation great again."*
- *"The choice is yours. Choose wisely."*
- *"What's different today in an audience of 72? It's all about knowing the bloody truth and going with the flow."*