What is the first thing we think about when buying personal hygiene products? That’s right, we think about how to avoid “leaks.” When choosing hygiene during periods products, we often focus our attention on those products that can provide us with maximum protection against leakage rather than those with which we are most comfortable. Vaginal microflora is too delicate, its composition is different for each woman, so the care must be delicate and take into account the peculiarities of the female body.
What hygiene product to choose during periods? We will tell you about all existing intimate hygiene products, and which of them to give your preference, it’s up to you to choose!
Pads
Pads are the most popular means of intimate hygiene. Many girls in Nigeria appreciate their availability, ease of use, and convenience. There are many advantages of pads: they are widespread, easy to use, suitable for all ages, do not require special conditions for replacement, and if used correctly, have no effect on the microflora of the vagina. In addition to all of the above, the pads are easy to select depending on the intensity of menstrual bleeding.
Obviously, the vast majority of women and girls choose pads.
However, this means of hygiene is not as ideal as it seems at first glance. In addition to the obvious advantages, they have disadvantages, including irritation on the skin of the genitals because of the “greenhouse effect”, the possible allergy to the materials, and the absolute lack of environmental friendliness of pads. A single drop of menstrual blood on the pad starts the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria, so it is recommended to change this means of hygiene every 4 hours.
Is there a decent alternative to pads? Yes, and they are tampons.
Tampons
Many women and girls in Nigeria during periods used to have a lot of prejudices about tampons. Even today, sometimes, you can still find misunderstandings about how virgins can use tampons. Despite this, tampons have been able to gain women’s trust and are now very popular.
The advantages of tampons: no unpleasant odor, compactness, reliability. They do not hinder movement, allowing you to lead an everyday life, and do not cause discomfort, as they do not feel inside when properly inserted.
Tampons absorb blood well; it’s hard to argue with that. But along with the blood, they absorb the vaginal discharge, disrupting the natural microflora. Is it useful? Hardly. Instead, it can be attributed to the disadvantages. In addition, the minus of tampons includes the likelihood of reproduction in them of pathogenic bacteria. But perhaps the most obvious disadvantage is the increased risk of toxic shock syndrome. To minimize this risk, it is recommended to change the tampon every 3-6 hours.
For those who are not confused by the way tampons are used and the presence of a foreign body inside but are frightened by the likelihood of STS, there is a good alternative – a menstrual cup.
Menstrual cup
This means of intimate hygiene is not yet as common as pads and tampons but is already steadily gaining popularity among the female population.
So, what kind of creature is this – menstrual cup? It is a container of soft, flexible material placed inside the vagina to collect menstrual secretions. The key difference between a cup and tampons and pads is that it does not absorb the secretions but accumulates them.
Positive aspects of menstrual cups: they are capacious, while they do not swell inside and do not exert pressure on the vaginal walls, do not absorb the proper vaginal substrate, do not create a “greenhouse effect”, do not lead to toxic shock syndrome, do not affect the microflora, are made of hypoallergenic materials, are environmental and cause no discomfort while being inside. In addition, the cups are durable – their service life can be up to 10 years. They do not need to be emptied too often – with moderate excretions; the cup can stay inside for up to 12 hours.
It would seem that there are only pros!
However, menstrual cups also have several disadvantages. First, you have to learn how to use them correctly. It can take a long time to get accustomed to gently inserting and removing the cup. If you set the cup incorrectly, it can leak, which is not good. Secondly, the cup will be difficult to change in the “field” because hygiene must be observed when changing it, and the cup itself requires sterilization between cycles. This problem can be partially solved by having more than one cup. Still, it is rarely possible to avoid unwanted hand contact with the vaginal mucosa and the cup during the “resetting” of this hygiene product outside the home.
And even if during the use of the menstrual cup, gradually, women “recognize” this means of intimate hygiene and more and more often give preference to it.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.