A blood stain on your pants shouldn't be viewed as a big deal, but some women get shamed over period leaks—especially in places where not everybody has access to effective menstrual supplies. In parts of India, for example, access to affordable, safe, and absorbent pads can make the difference between girls going to school and staying home. That's why Indian nanotechnologist Chandra Shekhar Sharma decided to create a new material that can make sanitary napkins more effective. A paper published last month in Applied Materials Today describes the material, which is made of electrospun nanofibers instead of superabsorbent polymers, known as SAPs. SAPs have been linked to toxic shock syndrome, which is why they're not used in tampons. They're also bad for the environment because they take so long to degrade. The alternative material is safer, more environmentally friendly, more absorbent, and more comfortable against the skin than the pads currently on the market. The new pads would also be also cheaper to make, which could also make them more affordable to buy. “This technology is going to benefit a large section of the society,” Sharma told The Washington Post. “This is the 21st century and women are still struggling.” The new pads aren't on the market yet, but Sharma and his team are currently working on commercializing them. Hopefully, that means that in the near future, fewer women will have to deal with period leaks or unsafe products, and more will be able to get the basic health necessities they deserve. Source
