That time of the month
The red lady. Aunt flow. The crimson tide. Whatever you call your menstrual cycle, it takes some management to keep things clean and comfortable downstream. Fortunately, there are a growing number of products to help women do just that. “It’s nice that there are different options, and there are different times in a woman’s life that these options may be appealing,” says Dr. Jennifer Gunter, an OB-GYN at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. Here’s what to know to determine what works best for you:
Tampons
First, a public restroom staple: tampons. Despite occasional Internet rumors that some tampons are contaminated or cause toxic shock syndrome, “the available scientific evidence does not support these rumors,” states the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the products. Tampons don’t cause endometriosis — a uterine condition that causes painful periods — either, says Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, an OB-GYN and clinical professor at the Yale University School of Medicine. “Pretty much all the commercial tampons out there are fine,” she says.
But there’s a caveat.
Still, it’s important to use tampons correctly to avoid toxic shock syndrome, a very rare but serious complication historically linked to a type of super-absorbent tampon no longer on the market. To be safe, choose the least absorbent style that’s still effective for you, don’t keep it in for more than eight hours and take breaks from them by occasionally alternating with pads, Minkin suggests. “Give your vagina some breathing room, so to speak,” she says.
Disposable pads
“Thank God for wings,” says Gunter, who remembers the sanitary napkins common into the 1970s that required a belt to keep up. Today’s pads come in all styles — think thin, overnight and long — and stay on belt-free. But pads aren’t for everyone. “Some women get skin irritation with pads — especially women who have to wear them for six or seven days in a row,” Gunter says. One way to avoid irritation with any product you choose? Steer clear of scented choices, Minkin says. “The vulvo-vaginal tissue is the most delicate tissue in the body, and all of those scents are potential allergens,” she says.
Reusable pads
You follow a plant-based diet, always recycle and use energy-efficient light bulbs, all in the name of helping the environment. Why not use pads that support the earth too? Cloth pads like GladRags, which are made to be washed and reused for five years, cut back on waste and save energy used to manufacture, ship and package disposable products, according to the company. They can also save money and be less irritating than disposable (plastic) products. If you’re crafty, you can also make your own, says Minkin, who suggests searching on YouTube for tutorials. “It’s like using washable diapers.”
Thinx
Why wear underwear and a pad if you can wear underwear that acts as a pad, too? So goes the idea behind Thinx, a brand of “moisture-wicking … antimicrobial and leakproof” underwear that absorbs the same amount as two full tampons, says Miki Agrawal, the company’s CEO and co-founder, who recommends pairing them with a tampon or cup on heavy days. “You’re pretty much just wearing magic underwear that looks and feels like regular underwear and has your back too,” she says. While they’ll set you back $24 to $38 each, Gunther says “they’re all pretty cute,” coming in varieties including thongs, hip-huggers and boy shorts.
Menstrual cup
Another popular option for the environmentally and budget-conscious is the reusable menstrual cup, typically a silicone product shaped like a funnel that fits in the vagina and collects blood. At least every 12 hours, you take it out, dump the blood in the toilet, wash it and put it back in. While “it takes a couple of uses to get facile with them” — particularly the removal part — Gunter says more of her patients are interested in them. No scientific word yet on whether they’re safer than tampons when it comes to toxic shock syndrome.
Looncup
What do you get when you cross a menstrual cup with Silicon Valley? The Looncup, a not-yet-on-the-market menstrual cup with a sensor that syncs with your smartphone to “precisely track your fluid volume, fluid color and analyze your cycles” so you know when it’s time to refresh, according to the product’s Kickstarter campaign. But don’t ditch your “dumb” menstrual cup just yet — the Looncup (which goes for $40) will have to be cleared by the FDA first, since it’s unlike other menstrual cups, says Gunter, who has voiced her concerns about the product’s necessity and safety. Minkin also says it’s far-fetched. “I don’t think most people need that,” she says.
Sea sponge
Sometimes, being one with the earth can go too far. That’s the case with sea sponges that some women use in place of tampons. The sponges, which are sold online and in stores but rarely blatantly marketed for menstrual purposes, can be dangerous since they’ve been found to host “sand, grit and bacteria and other various materials,” according to the FDA. They also might spur mold growth, break into pieces when you’re taking them out and raise your risk of toxic shock syndrome since they’re very absorbent, Gunter warns.
Nothing
What if you didn’t have to use menstrual products at all? You don’t, says Gunter, noting that forms of birth control that eliminate periods entirely are safe, but not for everyone. “Some women feel very relieved by having a period once a month, it makes them feel like everything is working,” she says, “and other women … appreciate modern medicine.” Both can be satisfied. “We all have different definitions of what works for us,” Gunter says.
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Tampons, Pads or Menstrual Cups? A Woman’s Guide to Period Products originally appeared on usnews.com
