Over the past several decades, disposable absorbent feminine hygiene products have increasingly replaced older ways of managing menstrual flow, including internal tampons, full-sized sanitary pads and panty shields as well as reusable cloth menstrual pads.
These products may contain various chemicals, including parabens and environmental phenols; AWHS participants are raising awareness of these potentially hazardous materials that could potentially enter vaginal bloodstream.
Tampons
Tampons are small cylindrical devices designed to absorb menstrual blood flow. Tampons are considered medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), typically constructed of cotton or rayon.
Tampons can be used with or without an applicator and come in various sizes and shapes to meet individual women’s needs. Some tampons even offer additional features like leak protection, odor control, or moisture wicking properties.
Tampons may be convenient and effective products, yet they may cause irritation and friction. Furthermore, they contain ingredients like aluminum and synthetic fibers which could increase your risk for toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
TSS (tamponade syndrome syndrome) is an extremely rare, but potentially life-threatening condition caused when tampons remain in for too long and block oxygen to vaginal cells, leading to symptoms including fever, fatigue, rash and low blood pressure – sometimes even leading to coma or death! Women can prevent TSS by adhering to recommended usage guidelines: washing hands before inserting their tampon and changing it every 4-8 hours.
Sanitary pads
Pads (also called sanitary napkins or panty liners) are rectangles of absorbent material designed to adhere directly onto your underwear. Equipped with holes that absorb period blood directly, these pads help prevent leakage while staining is reduced significantly – an excellent option if your flow is light or regular, or you suffer from toxic shock syndrome and are concerned about its impact.
The ideal pads feature topsheets that stay dry, coupled with superabsorbent polymer SAPs to channel fluid into them. Depending on your flow rates and body shape, there are different sizes available to meet various flow rates – heavy days/lighter periods alike. Some women may need to experiment with different pads until finding something they find most comfortable; changing pads frequently will help avoid irritation of vagina.
Menstrual cups
Menstrual cups are reusable alternatives to traditional period products made of medical-grade silicone or latex, that provide an innovative method of collecting blood without absorption like pads or tampons do. When placed under your cervix, they create an airtight seal around it in order to collect it instead of absorb it like pads and tampons do; additionally they often leak less and are much easier to insert than their alternatives.
There is a wide selection of brands on the market, such as Diva Cups, Cora cups and Flex Discovery kits that are tailored to be user-friendly for beginners. Some cups feature thin-walled bell shapes while others may be more disc-shaped or ring shaped; be sure to follow manufacturer’s directions accordingly and wash hands and cup thoroughly after each use – as adding more bacteria into the vagina may increase risk for UTIs.
Some may find using a menstrual cup difficult at first, but with practice comes ease of use and cost efficiency. Once women find their ideal cup size it becomes easy, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly while supporting two UN Sustainable Development Goals such as gender equality and clean water and sanitation.
Douches
Douches are liquid containers filled with either water or another substance and used to squirt them directly into the vagina. Common ingredients found in douching solutions are vinegar, baking soda or fragrances and they’re sold to women to clean their vagina, get rid of odor, prevent infections or stop pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). While douching may seem effective at cleaning vaginas quickly and removing odor, it actually increases risks such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and yeast infections due to overgrowth of bad bacteria compared with healthy bacteria being balanced over time allowing harmful ones overgrown while leaving healthy bacteria to flourish instead of remaining balanced in balance allowing bad ones overgrowth in time allowing bad ones overtake them!
Feminine hygiene products are carbon intensive, contain significant quantities of plastic waste and tend to be single use products; yet they have had a profound impact on many women worldwide, enabling girls to attend school and unleashing economic development potential. Without access to such products, many young women would be forced to stay at home during their periods and cannot contribute to society – this global issue must be tackled through education, affordable products and entrepreneurial opportunities for women.
