Life After Puberty
All About the Menstrual Cycle
Taking Care of Business
When you have your period, you need to use something to absorb and dispose of the blood. You have a lot of choices about what to use – pads, tampons, cups, or sponges. Many girls use more than just one product depending on how active they are, their flow, and how comfortable they are with their bodies. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or help from your mother or another woman you trust and are comfortable with.
Most girls start with pads, because they are the easiest to learn to use and you don’t have to put something in your vagina. Some products are disposable (you just throw them out when you change them), others like the menstrual cup are reusable (you wash and reuse them, good for the environment!). Read below to find out what might be best for you.
What are my choices for managing menstrual bleeding?
Whatever you choose, remember to change or empty it regularly. Leaving any product in place for a long time allows bacteria to grow and can cause infection. Most products come with instructions that tell you how often to change it and how to use it.
Pads: Pads come in many different sizes and thicknesses. You wear a pad inside your underwear. It absorbs the blood that flows out of your vagina and protects your clothes. Some women wear a pad as a backup for a tampon or other methods so they don’t have to worry about leaks. Many use pads at night.
Pads can be disposable (made of soft absorbent paper – they usually have a sticky backing that you peel off and then attach to your underwear) or reusable (made of cloth).
You can find disposable pads in almost any store, including the corner store! There are so many different varieties that you might want to try a few. Some women keep different kinds and sizes on hand for different situations. For example, they use a panti-liner (a thin pad) on days when they have a small amount of bleeding or spotting, and they use larger pads when they have heavier bleeding or at night when they are sleeping.
You can dispose of pads by wrapping them in toilet paper and putting them in the garbage. Pads should NOT go in the toilet.
Reusable cloth pads are made of cotton. Some you leave in place and change the liners, others you change completely. They come with Velcro or snap closures that let you attach them to your underwear. When you change a cloth pad, you replace it with a new one and soak the old one in cold water before washing it. This helps remove the blood stains. You can keep a small plastic bag with you for used cloth pads.
You cannot wear a pad while swimming.
Tampons: Tampons are about the size and shape of a finger. You place the tampon in your vagina (some come with a cardboard applicator) so that the string on the end is hanging out. The tampon expands and absorbs your menstrual blood. When it is full you pull it out by the string and throw it away.
Tampons can be small or large, slender or thick. From “slender” to “super,” you can pick the size that matches your flow. If you have just started getting your period you might want to start with the slender size.
Tampons are disposable and come with important instructions about how to use them and how often to change them. Read these instructions! When you first try to insert a tampon it helps if you are in a room that gives you lots of space and privacy. A mirror can be helpful too! It might take a couple of tries before you get the hang of it. When you put the tampon in your vagina it helps if you squat or stand with one foot up on the toilet seat or other ledge. This helps open up your vagina. You can use a mirror to help you find your vaginal opening and it’s a good idea to feel around with your fingers. It’s really important to place the tampon in your vagina, not your anus (the hole between your buttocks).
You need to get comfortable with your body before you use a tampon. If you have difficulty inserting the tampon, ask a parent or another woman you trust for help. If you still can’t insert it, check with your doctor.
You can wear a tampon when you swim or when you are doing other physical activities.
When you change a tampon, you should wrap it up in toilet paper and put it in the garbage. Some people do flush tampons down the toilet, but this doesn’t always work and the last thing you want is to overflow a toilet with a used tampon.
Tampons should be changed every 4 hours during the daytime. This helps prevent leaking and infection. Tampons can be used overnight for up to 8 hours.
With tampons, there is a small risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome [link to SOGC section on TSS] (TSS). This is a serious and life-threatening syndrome. You can reduce your chances of getting TSS by changing your tampon regularly.
Toxic Shock Syndrome is caused by a toxin (a poisonous substance) that builds up in your system.
Signs of TSS include:
- sudden high fever
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- headache
- generalized aches and pains
- dizziness and feeling faint (especially when rising from a lying or sitting position)
- disorientation (confusion)
- a rash like a sunburn on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet
- extremely low blood pressure, rapid weak pulse (shock)
If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
Cups: A cup [link to SOGC Q&A on cups] is a small plastic cup-shaped container. To insert a cup you just squeeze its sides and slide it into your vagina. It sits over the opening of your cervix and it collects the blood that is flowing out. It can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time, depending on your menstrual flow. When you remove the cup, you empty it (into the toilet), wash it with warm water and soap, rinse it and put it back in your vagina. It can also be sterilized by boiling it in water for 2–5 minutes. The cup has been approved by Health Canada since 2002.
Like tampons, it’s a good idea to get comfortable with your body first. Or you could try using a cup or a tampon as a way to get familiar with your body!
There are a variety of cups available (both reusable and disposable):
- The Keeper™ is made of rubber and can be used by women who are not allergic to latex.
- The DivaCup™ is made of silicone, so it can be used even by women who are allergic to latex.
- Instead® is a disposable cup.
Sponges: A natural sea sponge can be placed into your vagina to absorb the blood. You must take it out and rinse it at least every 3 hours. And you must boil it before and at the end of your cycle for at least 5 minutes to remove any bacteria.
How do I choose?
With so many menstrual products available, how do you choose? A pad is a good place to start. It’s simple to use and you can take your time getting comfortable with the way your body works (and what it feels like) before you start using something that you have to put in your vagina. But if you are very active and you love to swim, it might be a good idea to try tampons or a cup.
Many girls and women use a combination of products – tampons or a cup and pads, pads at night time, different sizes of pads and (or) tampons during different times of their period.
You are the expert on your body and your comfort level, but don’t be afraid to experiment and find out what works for you. To help you decide you might want to consider:
- what your flow is like during the day and at night
- how the amount of bleeding changes from the beginning to the end of your period
- how familiar and comfortable you are with your vagina
- which products you think you would be most comfortable using
- how much you travel or are away from home
- how active you are (swimming, biking, dancing, or other physical activities)
- your willingness and comfort washing and reusing products that have menstrual blood in them
- what is convenient for your lifestyle
It is always handy to keep a supply both on hand at home, and in your purse or knapsack. If you are sexually active, you also have to remember that it is possible to get pregnant if you have sex during your period.
What other options are there?
Some girls, even after a year of having their period, are still very irregular or have an extremely heavy flow or very painful periods. A doctor can help you find out why this is happening. For some girls hormonal birth control helps to regulate their cycles and makes them lighter and less crampy. You don’t have to be sexually active to use hormonal birth control. Talk to your doctor or health-care professional to find out if this might be a good choice for you.
Last Modified: December 21, 2007
