Menstrual Products

Every female gets her period at some point and it usually starts during puberty. After it has started, a female's period happens monthly and it needs to be collected somehow. Luckily there are loads of ways of doing this. 

The most common menstrual products are:

• Sanitary Pads (Always)
• Tampons (Tampax)
• Reusable Menstrual Cups (Diva Cup)
• Period Panties (Thinx)
• Reusable Sanitary Pads (Lunapads)

Sanitary pads are one of the most common menstrual products because they are so simple. They are made of rayon, viscose, and cellulose wood fluff pulp. They stick to the inside of your underwear and have wings that stick to the underside of your underwear so as not to spill any blood on them. The first link above explains how to use sanitary pads and has images of them as well.

Tampons are made out of cotton and rayon and are inserted up the vagina using an applicator that is later disposed of. They soak up all blood and have a string attached for easy removal. They can be used for up to 4-8 hours at a time and then need to be disposed of. The second link above is to a website that sells tampons and explains how to use them, how to put them in, what they are made of, etc...

Reusable menstrual cups are inserted similarly to tampons however they do not come with an applicator. They are in the shape of a cup and rest lower in the vagina than tampons do. The Diva Cup can be used for up to 12 hours at a time and are reusable, making them environmentally friendly. The third link above takes you to a reusable menstrual cup website that explains how to use them, how to insert them, and other things regarding the product.

Period panties are a pair of washable underwear that collects period blood. They are used like normal underwear and are washed to dispose of blood. They are quite expensive compared to normal underwear however they are highly effective and, if they are being used instead of tampons/pads, you will actually save money. As well as all this, they are environmentally friendly because they are reusable and don't have to be thrown out. The fourth link above takes you to a period panty website that explains how to use them and sells them.

Reusable sanitary pads function the same way as regular sanitary pads, however, they can be put in the wash and used again. The last website above goes to a link that explains and sells reusable sanitary pads.

These are only the most common menstrual products, meaning there are many more. Young Woman's Health gives many more examples of menstrual products and explains how each are used if the ones listed above don't suit you.

Author: Ella (8th Grade)