Reusable menstrual products like period underwear, sanitary pads or panty liners offer numerous advantages: they’re healthier for your body, feel soft against your skin, don’t chafe and are cheaper in the long run.
There are various options available, from applicator-less tampons for reduced waste and subscription services that save money to regularly changing them every 4-6 hours in order to prevent bacterial growth.
Internal feminine hygiene products
Feminine hygiene products such as tampons, pads, menstrual cups and other items that absorb women’s period blood are known as feminine hygiene products. They provide protection from toxins produced by bacteria that could potentially cause infections or cramps during menstruation cycles as well as cramps themselves. Women may use various kinds of feminine hygiene products to find one that best suits their lifestyle and individual flow pattern.
Pads are ideal for lighter periods. Made of sticky adhesive material on their wings or bottom and an absorbent layer inside, they can be placed directly on underwear or panty liners and changed every four to six hours as necessary. Tampons, made of cotton-based products packed tightly into cylindrical or tent-like structures with strings attached for removal purposes can increase risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Using super absorbency tampons for too long could increase this risk even more.
Many women without access to feminine hygiene products make do with cloth, rags, toilet paper or diapers for their hygiene needs. Even those who can afford them may face high sales taxes that force them to choose between food and feminine hygiene products when making purchasing decisions.
Tampons
WVE participants most often used tampons as the most effective menstrual product to absorb menstrual blood. Tampons consist of small cotton plugs packaged with either plastic or cardboard applicators with strings at their ends for easy insertion.
Cotton or rayon or a blend thereof is used to construct these FDA-regulated medical devices, while pads may contain rayon that has been bleached with elemental chlorine, potentially creating trace amounts of dioxins.
Some women may need to use both tampons and pantyliner/pad for backup protection during their period due to fluctuating flow levels or activity levels causing leakage or odor that needs covering up. No matter which protection one chooses, it’s essential that they regularly change them for best protection; also important is keeping reusable period products such as menstrual cups/discs properly cleaned in between uses.
Pads
Pads (nappons) are small items attached to women’s underwear that absorb menstrual blood through layers of material – typically rayon, cotton and plastic – usually rayon or cotton. Thinner versions (pantyliners) may be suitable for lighter flows while thicker options (maxi or super pads) should be chosen when heavy bleeding is expected (“maxi” or “super” pads). Additional security is provided by strips on their back to secure them into place as well as various sizes to meet various flows. They tend to cause less toxic shock syndrome than tampons but should be changed frequently as well.
Women’s Voices for the Earth conducted a field study that showed some packages sold in New York state did not disclose any ingredient information at all, even those labeled with FDA classification as medical devices.
Menstrual cups
Menstrual cups are small, flexible funnel-shaped cups designed to collect period blood instead of absorbing it like pads or tampons do. Available in various sizes and materials, menstrual cups may be worn up to 12 hours at once depending on your flow rate.
Menstrual cups offer several distinct advantages over pads and tampons: they’re reusable and reduce environmental impact while having less chance of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
Menstrual cups can last for over 10 years when properly used – much longer than disposable pads or tampons! It takes some practice to insert and remove one, however. They can be messy if you are uncomfortable handling blood, and should always be cleaned and sterilized after each use to avoid infections and other health concerns. But done properly, menstrual cups can provide cost-effective, eco-friendly, hygienic alternatives to pads and tampons!
