"What towels, pads or tampons you use is your choice, but change them regularly."
What are sanitary towels and pads?
Most girls use sanitary pads or towels when they first start their periods and many women use them throughout their reproductive years. Sanitary towels are thin, absorbent, pads that line your pants to prevent any leakage of period blood onto your pants or outer clothes. There are many different types and makes and you can buy them in chemists or other shops, including supermarkets. Each make of towel come in different sizes or thicknesses, often called mini, light, regular, super, super plus etc. This depends on how absorbent they are. They usually come in packs of 10–40 and you might need to try several types before you find which ones you most like using. Sanitary towels are made of a disposable, soft, cotton-like material, often with a waterproof outer layer to prevent leaks and one or more sticky strips to hold them in place. It is also possible to buy pant liners which are very thin and just protect your pants from light staining.
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How often should I change them?
You should change a sanitary towel for a new one every few hours, about every four hours, during the day, even if the flow of blood is not very great. This will make you feel cleaner and is better for you. One sanitary towel will usually last all night.
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What are tampons?
Tampons are a bit like a tightly rolled-up sanitary towel. They are gently placed just inside the vagina to soak up the period blood before it leaves the body. Tampons are made of very absorbent fibres and have a string attached to them which helps you pull them out. There are two main types, ones with and ones without an applicator tube, either type is equally effective. Those with applicators are larger to carry around but prevent you getting blood on your fingers when you insert them and are often easier to insert. Tampons also come in different sizes, or absorbencies. Which ones you use depends on how heavy your period is, how much you bleed.
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How do I put a tampon in properly?
Putting tampons in properly is very easy and painless. Tampon boxes contain good instructions to show you how to use them. Do make sure your hands and fingers are clean. It is important to make sure that the tampons are placed the right way up, with the string hanging out, so that you can pull it to remove the tampon. Because tampons are put into the vagina, which almost closes around them, you do not have to worry about them when you go to the toilet, it won't fall out. You should not use a tampon between your periods because the vagina will be drier and they can cause irritation. If you think that your period might start soon it is better to use a sanitary towel until it has actually started. At the end of your period, when you are losing less blood, it might be more comfortable to swap to a towel or pant liner. If you find it difficult to insert a tampon then you can ask for help and advice at shac or at your GP or at a family planning clinic such as The Laurels - Contraception & Sexual Health Service.
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How do I take a tampon out?
Taking tampons out is very easy and painless. You just need to find the string and pull on it gently. During the day it is very important that you remove the tampon and replace it with a new one every few hours, or more often if it is full of blood. This is because it will make you feel cleaner and also because there is a risk of you having a very rare but serious reaction to infection called Toxic Shock Syndrome. Toxic Shock Syndrome, see below, is more likely to happen if you leave tampons in for much longer times than recommended but you can get it without having your period or without using a tampon. It is recommended now that you don't use one tampon throughout the night. If you can't, or don't want to, change your tampon during the night, it might be best to use a sanitary towel instead. It is also thought to be best to use lower absorbency tampons and change them more often. If you are worried about slight leakage you can always use a sanitary towel or pant liner as well.
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What if I can't get the tampon out for any reason?
If for any reason you can't get a tampon out, it is very rare that the string comes off, you can ask a nurse or doctor to remove it for you. At the end of your period make sure you have taken the last tampon out.
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What is toxic shock syndrome and what should I do if I am worried about it?
Toxic Shock Syndrome is a very rare but potentially life-threatening reaction by the body to some types of bacteria. These bacteria can infect the vagina and other areas of the body. The symptoms are quite similar to those of flu or food poisoning. The symptoms of toxic shock syndrome are two, or more of the following:
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High temperature
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Diarrhoea
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Dizziness
If you think that you might have Toxic Shock Syndrome, you should go straight to your doctor or Accident and Emergency Department so that they can give you the right treatment. N.B there have only been about 20 cases of TSS in the past 5 years.
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What should I do with used towels and tampons?
When you change your towels or tampons, you will need to dispose of your used sanitary towels and tampons. Most toilets can't cope with lots of absorbent material being put in them and towels and tampons that are flushed down the toilet can end up floating around in the sea. Because of this it is probably best to wrap the towels and tampons carefully in toilet paper and find a bin to throw them in. Most public toilets provide special paper bags and bins for used towels and tampons. If you won't be able to find a bin for any reason, when camping or travelling, it might be best to carry some sealable plastic bags to use until you can dispose of the towel or tampon.
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Can I take a bath and swim when I am using towels or tampons?
During your period, you can and should still have a bath or shower. You might see a little blood come out as you wash, but not enough to change the colour of the water. As usual, it is good to wash the vaginal area daily to help prevent minor infections developing into symptoms. It is also a good idea to wash and dry between your legs from front to back to avoid spreading germs to the vagina, urethra or bladder. If you are using a tampon take it out before you take a bath or shower so that you can wash the vagina properly and don't have to remove a soggy tampon afterwards. After you have dried yourself, insert a new tampon or attach a new sanitary towel to your pants.
If you want to go swimming during your period, it is a good idea to use a new tampon just before you enter the water and then dispose of it afterwards.
Useful websites include: www.tampax.co.uk and www.kotex.com |
