The Last of Us isn’t afraid of menstrual health

Tampons and pads were banned by the National Association of Broadcasters from TV advertisements until 1972 — TV was deemed an unsuitable place to talk about a product essential for all people who menstruate. It took years for people on TV to even talk about what tampons were used for — saying the word “period” — and longer for any major companies to stop using the mysterious blue liquid to demonstrate absorbency. That isn’t a new trend: Kotex changed to red only in 2020.

Half of the population menstruates, and yet there’s a deep discomfort in talking about it — so much that we’re still trying to normalize periods. It’s taboo to talk about, and stigmatized as if it were a problem that must be fixed, something dirty that needs to be purified. It’s rare when someone speaks openly about menstruating, let alone on TV. That’s why it’s so significant that Last of Us does so in small ways; finding a box of Tampax Pearls — which first hit the market in 2002 — is a celebration for Ellie. Tampax Pearls are a great invention. They use plastic for their applicator instead of cardboard, making them much more comfortable! Last of UsEpisode 6 sees Ellie get a DivaCup. DivaCup was the only major manufacturer of menstrual cups at the time, but they certainly weren’t mainstream. Maria, Tommy’s wife, must have been shopping at crunchy health food stores before the pandemic.

It seems like many people who have ever menstruated thought the same thing. What is the best way to handle your period during an apocalypse. It’s rare to see a show mention periods, let alone how to deal with them. It’s probably annoying, having to scavenge for materials for a makeshift pad or tampon, and that’s why it’s a celebration when Ellie stumbles on the box of tampons in a Cumberland Farms in Massachusetts — her response is a big ol’ It’s a joke!She then stuffs the box of tampons back in her backpack before moving on.

Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO

It doesn’t come up again until episode 6, and again, it’s in a nonchalant, normalized way. Maria prepares new clothing and supplies for Ellie and Joel after they arrive at Jackson. The menstrual cups are one example of such items. It’s likely a rare find in the apocalyptic world, And a priceless gift from Maria. For those who don’t know, a menstrual cup is a cup made of silicone that’s inserted into the vagina to collect period blood. It’s reusable, unlike tampons and pads, so in today’s world, it saves money (a one-every-few-years buy!) andIt is healthier for the environment. DivaCup International was established in 2003. The company which makes DivaCups is just entering the market at the time of the outbreak.

In an apocalyptic world where tampons are regarded as a trophy, a menstrual cup is a lifesaver — the most underrated apocalypse tool. The menstrual cup can be stored for 12 hours longer than the tampons and must be cleaned before it is empty. It’s a boon in the apocalypse, where life can be unpredictable and chaotic. While fighting the mushroom-headed infection, no one can spare time for changing a tampon every couple of hours.

DivaCups like any other menstrual cup can also expire. DivaCup suggests replacing them every few years, because it won’t last forever. But Ellie’s was presumably unused, which gives her some runway. There doesn’t seem to be any consensus on how long the silicone product will keep for; with proper care, some say 10 years. We’ve reached out to DivaCup to ask how one of their products would fare 20 years into the apocalypse and will update this story when we hear back.

Tampons expire five years after being opened and left in their boxes. Even though they may look good, there is a possibility that they might be contaminated with bacteria and mold. Ellie’s survived Last of Us’ infected and non-infected dangers for more than 14 years, and I wouldn’t want to see her go out from a tampon. Toxic shock syndrome can be fatal, although it is very rare. It’s a risk when using old tampons, but also when keeping them in for too long, since bacteria can get into the bloodstream and spread from there.)

These are such small details for such high praise, but the portrayal of periods in media has mostly been abysmal — at best, it’s a joke about why a woman might be cranky, and at worse, it’s a gross-out trope. But most often, it’s just rote: a symbol for a person’s coming of age, a girl growing into a woman. A period, in reality, is something that occurs to certain people. You may find it annoying or painful, some worse than others.), but it’s normal and shouldn’t be taboo. Last of Us’ portrayal underlines that, normalizing it as Ellie squishes her DivaCup in her hand.