Most of us go through our
periods very secretively and don’t really bother to
figure out if our practices are hygienic or not. At times, we may wear the same
napkin for a whole day. Women is villages and smaller towns still use reusable
unhygienic cloth during their periods. And since periods are considered
unclean, they are not even allowed to use detergent for washing the soiled
cloth well in some households.
Here are some tips to
maintain hygiene during your periods, some of which you may not know about:
1. Choose your
method of sanitation:
Today there are a number of
ways including the use of sanitary napkins, tampons and menstrual cups to stay
clean. In India, most unmarried girls prefer to use sanitary napkins. If you do
decide to use a tampon remember that it is essential to choose one that has the
lowest absorbency rate for your flow.
While there are some women
who choose to use either different types of sanitary napkins on different days
of their periods or different methods of protection (like a tampon and a
sanitary napkin), there are some who prefer to stick to one type and brand. The
best tip here is to try and use one brand for one type of protection for a
while to know if it helps your needs. Frequent switching between brands can
make you uncomfortable since brands are as unique as you, they suit everyone
differently.
2. Change regularly:
Menstrual blood –
once it has left the body – gets contaminated
with the body’s innate organisms. This rule applies for even those
days when you don’t have much bleeding, since your pad is still damp and
will have organisms from your vagina, sweat from your genitals, etc. When these
organisms remain in a warm and moist place for a long time they tend to multiply
and can lead to conditions like urinary tract infection, vaginal infections and
skin rashes.
The standard time to change a
sanitary pad is once every six hours, while for a tampon is once every two hours.
That being said, you have to customize the changing schedule to your needs.
While some women might have a heavy flow and would need to change more often,
others will need to change less frequently. There are a few instances where
your sanitary napkin or tampon might not be completely used –
usually on days when you have a lesser flow–but you must change
at regular intervals.
In the case of tampons it is
very important because, if left inserted into the vagina for long periods of
time it can cause a condition called TSS or toxic shock syndrome –
a condition where bacteria infiltrate the body leading to severe infection that
can send to the body into shock – that requires
emergent treatment and can lead to serious complications and even death.
3. Wash yourself regularly:
When you menstruate, the
blood tends to enter tiny spaces like the skin between your labia or crust around
the opening of the vagina and you should always wash this excess blood away.
This practice also tends to beat bad odour from the vaginal region. So, it is
important to wash your vagina and labia (the projecting part of female
genitals) well before you change into a new pad. If you cannot wash yourself before
you change make sure to wipe off the areas using toilet paper or tissue.
4. Don’t use soaps or vaginal hygiene products:
The vagina has its own
cleaning mechanism that works in a very fine balance of good and bad
bacteria. Washing it with
soap can kill the good bacteria making way for infections. So, while it is important
to wash yourself regularly during this time, all you need to use is some warm
water. You can use soap on the external parts but do not use it inside your
vagina or vulva.
5. Use the right washing technique:
Always wash or clean the area
in a motion that is from the vagina to the anus. Never wash in the
opposite direction. Washing
in the opposite direction can cause bacteria from the anus to lodge in the vagina
and urethral opening, leading to infections. Read about urinary tract
infections.
6. Discard your used sanitary product properly:
It is essential to discard
your used napkins or tampons properly because they are capable of
spreading infections, will
smell very foul. Wrapping it well before discarding it ensures that the smell
and infection is contained. It is advised not to flush the pad or tampon down
the toilet since they are capable of forming a block and can cause the toilet
to back up. More importantly it is imperative that you wash your hands well
after you discard your used napkin since you are likely to touch the used
portion of the pad or tampon while discarding it.
7. Beware of a
pad rash:
A pad rash is something that
you might experience during a period of heavy flow. It usually occurs when the
pad has been wet for a long time and rubs along the thighs causing it to chaff.
To prevent this from occurring, try to stay dry during your periods. If you do
have a rash, change your pads regularly and stay dry. Apply an antiseptic
ointment, after a bath and before bed – this will heal the
rash and prevent further chaffing. If it gets worse do visit your doctor who
will be able to prescribe you a medicated powder that can keep the area dry.
8. Use only one
method of sanitation at a time:
Some women who have heavy
flow during their periods tend to use either (i) two sanitary pads, (ii) a tampon
and sanitary pad (iii) a sanitary pad along with a piece of cloth. This might
seem like a good idea, but it actually is not, changing regularly is a better
option. Using two pads or a tampon and a sanitary pad is bad because the two
pads absorb the blood and you don’t see that they are
completely used up you are unlikely to change at regular and healthy intervals.
This can lead to rashes, infections and in the case of tampons even TSS.
Another consideration is that if one does use a piece of cloth as extra
protection that cloth may not be the cleanest thing to put next to your private
parts. Lastly, the whole two pad structure is extremely uncomfortable and can
leave you with a bad rash and an even worse temper.
9. Have a bath
regularly:
To some it may seem like the
most inane advice, but in some cultures it is believed that a woman should not
bathe during her periods. This myth was based on the fact that in the olden
days women had to bathe in the open or in common water bodies like a river or
lake. But with indoor plumbing having a bath is the best thing you can do for
your body during your periods. Bathing not only cleanses your body but also
gives you a chance to clean your private parts well. It also helps relieve
menstrual cramps, backaches, helps improve your mood and makes you feel less
bloated. To get some relief from backaches and menstrual cramps, just stand
under a shower of warm water that is targeted towards your back or abdomen. You
will feel much better at the end of it.
10. Be ready with on-the-go stuff during your periods:
When you have your periods it
is important to be ready. It is important to have extra sanitary pads or tampons
properly stored in a clean pouch or paper bag, a soft towel, some paper tissues
or towels, hand sanitizer, a healthy snack, bottle of drinking water, a tube of
antiseptic medication (if you are using one). Changing your pads/ tampons
regularly is essential, so you will need extra. More importantly storing them
properly so that they don’t get contaminated is as important as changing. Pads
or tampons that remain in your bag without a clean pouch to protect it can also
lead to infections like UTI (urinary tract infection) or vaginal infections.
The soft towel can be used to wipe your hands or face if you wash them. Paper
towels are the important to wipe off the excess water after you wash your
private parts. It is best you don’t use toilet paper
for this as it tends to shred and tear when it touches water. Your hand
sanitizer is a very important factor here. You will need it to clean your hands
and you can use it to clean the flush knob and tap faucet as well. The snack is
a backup in case you feel weak or run down during the day and the bottle of
water is to help you stay hydrated throughout the day.
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