Most participants in our study reported using regular tampons, sanitary napkins or pads, panty liners and superabsorbent tampons during menstruation; many also used menstrual cups or period underwear.
AWHS team’s primary mission is to facilitate innovation equity for women?s health by convening stakeholders and ensuring clinical studies take gender differences in disease trajectory and outcome into account.
Feminine Hygiene
Female hygiene products like pads, tampons and menstrual cups can help relieve period symptoms. Choose one that meets your specific needs when making your selection; pay attention to factors like comfort level, flow level and lifestyle factors when determining which is the best product for you.
Avoid douches and vaginal powder that could potentially irritate the delicate vulva. Such products also interfere with the vagina’s natural acidic environment, possibly leading to bacteria growth and yeast overgrowth, leading to unpleasant odors in your vagina.
Women should visit their healthcare provider annually for an annual wellness exam that includes a pap smear and pelvic exam to detect early signs of cancer and other issues affecting female health. A physician can also advise them on proper feminine hygiene practices like showering with warm water after engaging in sexual activity, not douching, washing hands before and after using external feminine hygiene products and showering with mild soap suitable for their vulvae to minimize infection risk. Ideally, women should select mild soap that does not harm or compromise vulvae health when washing hands before and after using any external feminine hygiene products to reduce infection risk further.
Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are reusable products, helping reduce waste produced by disposable tampons and pads, cost less, and last up to 10 years depending on which brand is chosen.
Menstrual cups use hypo-allergenic silicone that’s free from chemicals compared to the bleached cotton, rayon and viscose fibers in tampons; many women find the menstrual cup less messy than its predecessor and believe its suction power helps reduce leakage.
Some women may find the learning curve for using menstrual cups difficult, but most can adapt with practice. Reading and following all insertion instructions as well as trying different sizes is key in order to avoid TSS or other infections from occurring; cups must also be thoroughly sanitized after every use to protect against TSS/infections; it may not be possible for women who wear IUDs to insert the cup properly due to them potentially pulling on strings and dislodging their device from place.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the natural act of feeding infants milk from their mother’s breast, either exclusively or partially. Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition to babies while offering protection from multiple infections – plus reduces risks such as ovarian and breast cancer in mothers!
Suckling stimulates nerves that cause the body to release prolactin and oxytocin hormones, which stimulate alveoli (small sacs in the nipples) to produce milk while milk ducts open; additionally, oxytocin causes muscle contractions that help the nipples pump out milk more effectively.
Nursing creates an intimate bond between mother and baby while saving both time and money, since no formula needs to be purchased, heated up, or bottles washed. Nursing may even delay menstruation returning; though that depends on individual circumstances.
