If you’re that girl that still uses the typical pads and tampons that you buy at the store, this article is for you. There are so many new options, so many alternative options that are better for y...
If you’re that girl that still uses the typical pads and tampons that you buy at the store, this article is for you. There are so many new options, so many alternative options that are better for you. They are better for your body and your health. Better for the environment, and in some cases, better for your wallet. Let’s look at the list of options available and the different varieties that can be found in the market.
Menstrual cups and discs
Both these products are convenient and useful because they are reusable, washable, and have a lot of longevity. They save you a ton of money because unlike tampons and pads, you don’t have to buy them repeatedly. You just wash the cups and the discs and can even last up to 5 years if you take care of them right.
The first one is the disc. It goes up into your vagina and hooks behind your pubic bone and catches any blood that might fall out of your cervix. Once you learn how to use this correctly, leakage is extremely low. This is however very messy so if you feel like you’re going to have to change this in a public place, this is not ideal. Even people who have been using this for a long time say, it’s really hard to get this out without making quite a mess.
The menstrual cup works by suctioning around your cervix to your uterus and it also catches any blood that you’re going to lose during your period. One plus point of the cups compared to the discs is that there is a lot less mess when you’re changing it. So even if you do have to change this at work and if you’ve practiced with it a few times this product is going to be simply fine for you to use.
With both these products, the con is that you must be comfortable with touching menstrual blood, by having your hands up your vagina because it will get personal when you go to take these in and out.
Organic tampons
The biggest difference between a regular tampon and an organic tampon is what they are made of and the process of bleaching the tampon. Regular tampons are bleached with chlorine which can lead to dioxin, which is known as a carcinogen and can disrupt the hormones when used in the long run. The organic tampons undergo a bleaching process that is completely chlorine free. After reading this you might feel overwhelmed, but it is important to know what options are available so that we're picking something that is going to be the best fit for us.
Period underwear
There are a few different ways that you can wear these. They are made with an absorbent material in the crotch area that is made to collect period blood. So, you could wear this period underwear just as is and nothing else. The manufacturers say that these can collect about as much blood as two tampons. You can go for a length of time without having to change your underwear. Some of the cons of the period under wear are that you must buy quite a few pairs unless you want to be doing a lot of laundry and they’re not going to be as convenient if you have a heavy flow day and if you, you’re traveling or working. If it’s a lighter flow day and you could make it through the entire day without having to worry about changing this could be a very convenient choice for you.
Adidas period athletic legging
Adidas wanted to make sure that athletes, especially teenage athletes felt comfortable participating in sports during their period. There was research was done that found a lot of teenagers stopped doing sports around their teen years and when they started their periods and a lot of times it had to do with being uncomfortable about taking part in sports while they were on their periods. So, Adidas came up with spandex shorts and a legging that is made to be so that it ensures there is no leaking and if leaking does occur, they have an absorbent layer to soak up that extra blood and make sure you’re not straining through. It is not made to be the main collector of blood. If you had a light flow day then it probably could be used solely in place of a tampon or pad, but it is made to be an extra layer of protection to make sure that if something does leak through a tampon or pad, this is going to collect anything and make sure that it is very discreet and unnoticeable.
