Development of Sanitary Towel Using Locally Available Natural Fibres for Marginalised Groups in Kenya

Abstract

Development of a reusable sanitary towel that is easy to make, affordable, and that utilises locally available natural fibres such as wool and cotton is described in this paper. A novel sanitary towel design consisting of a reusable outer shell and a disposable natural fibre insert is proposed and a prototype produced. The preparation of the natural fibres for sanitary towel use is described and their subsequent water imbibitions per gram of fibres established as 1.24 and 1.25 grams of water for cotton and wool fibres, respectively. The absorbency characteristics of the developed sanitary towel compare reasonably well to the KS 507:2005 Standards. The use, care and washing of the developed towel is describe and a cost analysis performed for different scenarios indicate a descent savings of up to 79% compared to commercial sanitary towel usage.