{"id":10,"date":"2019-03-05T21:50:23","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T21:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/?p=10"},"modified":"2019-03-11T19:46:40","modified_gmt":"2019-03-11T19:46:40","slug":"choosing-the-best-menstrual-hygiene-option-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/2019\/03\/05\/choosing-the-best-menstrual-hygiene-option-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Best Menstrual Hygiene Option for You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2019\/03\/hygiene_thumb-1024x645.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"380\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2019\/03\/hygiene_thumb-1024x645.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2019\/03\/hygiene_thumb-300x189.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2019\/03\/hygiene_thumb-768x484.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2019\/03\/hygiene_thumb-624x393.png 624w, https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2019\/03\/hygiene_thumb.png 1873w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>By: Sarah Hofstedt, CSUN Public Health Intern<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Our lives are full of decisions in this day and age:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle\">\n<li>What will I make for dinner? Which movie should I see? Where should I go for spring break?<\/li>\n<li>We have more choices today than previous generations ever did, and menstrual health is no exception. Pads? Tampons? Menstrual cups?! Oh my!<\/li>\n<li>Menstrual hygiene is the matter of absorbing and discarding menstrual fluid in a clean and safe way. It can be tough to decide which menstrual hygiene method is best for you, so here\u2019s a breakdown of options to help make the choice easier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Pads:<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/dazedimg-dazedgroup.netdna-ssl.com\/900\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1250\/4\/1254766.jpg\" width=\"287\" height=\"194\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are placed in the underwear to absorb menstrual fluid<\/li>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M9nEJUgUHQ0\">Simple to use<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<li>Can be <u><a href=\"https:\/\/lunapads.com\/\">reusable<\/a><\/u> or disposable<\/li>\n<li>Come in different thicknesses and lengths<\/li>\n<li>Can be used in combination with other menstrual hygiene methods<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Teens who are new to menstruation<\/li>\n<li>Those who do not like insertive methods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Very active lifestyles<\/li>\n<li>Those who are in water regularly (lifeguards, divers, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Those who wear tight or \u201crevealing\u201d clothing regularly (dancers, models, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tampons:<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/static.wixstatic.com\/media\/d38cdd_f8c8f181a8414b54ba0b9eae96da9949~mv2.jpg\/v1\/fill\/w_360,h_288,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01\/d38cdd_f8c8f181a8414b54ba0b9eae96da9949~mv2.webp\" width=\"295\" height=\"236\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual fluid<\/li>\n<li>Disposable<\/li>\n<li>Have <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/what-do-tampon-absorbency-ratings-mean-2721890\">different levels of absorbency<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<li>Require <u><a href=\"https:\/\/healthcare.utah.edu\/healthfeed\/postings\/2018\/07\/tss.php\">changing<\/a><\/u> every 6 hours<\/li>\n<li>Virtually mess-free and leak-proof<\/li>\n<li>Has a long string attached for easy removal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Active lifestyles<\/li>\n<li>Those who are in water regularly<\/li>\n<li>Those who wear clothing that is difficult to wash (silk, wool, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Those who get few breaks throughout the day<\/li>\n<li>Those that struggle with insertive methods<\/li>\n<li>Small budgets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Menstrual cups:<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1826\/3849\/articles\/Lunette_Cups_86_of_99_1024x.jpg?v=1493185380\" width=\"302\" height=\"226\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluid<\/li>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/tired-of-tampons-here-are-pros-and-cons-of-menstrual-cups\/\">Reusable<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<li>Environmentally friendly<\/li>\n<li>Can be left in for up to 12 hours (depending on flow)<\/li>\n<li>Can be re-used for up to 5 years<\/li>\n<li>Saves money in the long run<\/li>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/putacupinit.com\/cleaning\/\">Require cleaning<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Active lifestyles<\/li>\n<li>Those who wear tight clothing regularly<\/li>\n<li>Small budgets<\/li>\n<li>Those who do not get many breaks throughout the day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Those that do not like insertive methods<\/li>\n<li>Those who are forgetful (you need to remember to bring it with you!)<\/li>\n<li>Those without regular access to running water to empty the cup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Menstrual discs:\u00a0<u><\/u><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/menstrualcupreviews.net\/images\/article\/Discs%20pic.png\" width=\"306\" height=\"172\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A soft disc inserted into the vagina that collects menstrual flow<\/li>\n<li>Disposable<\/li>\n<li>Can be used for up to 12 hours<\/li>\n<li>Must be inserted <u><a href=\"https:\/\/flexfits.com\/blogs\/thefixx\/menstrual-discs-vs-menstrual-cups-what-s-the-difference\">deeper than tampons and menstrual cups<\/a><\/u><\/li>\n<li>Can be used <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/sex\/a20481129\/mess-free-period-sex-menstrual-disc\/\">during sex<\/a><\/u> unlike other insertive methods<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Active lifestyles<\/li>\n<li>Those who do not get many breaks throughout the day<\/li>\n<li>Those who wear tight clothing regularly<\/li>\n<li>Those with heavy flow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Those who do not like insertive methods<\/li>\n<li>Small budgets<\/li>\n<li>Those without regular access to running water to empty the disc<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Period panties:<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i5.walmartimages.com\/asr\/91cc2a2e-511a-40b3-8d59-5ed718c7efd3_1.f1737d199d3375e4109eb0460c7a2b2a.jpeg?odnHeight=560&amp;odnWidth=560&amp;odnBg=FFFFFF\" width=\"310\" height=\"310\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shethinx.com\/collections\/period-panties\">Reusable underwear<\/a><\/u> made to absorb menstrual fluid<\/li>\n<li>Leak-proof<\/li>\n<li>Can be used an entire day before needing a change<\/li>\n<li>Saves money in the long run<\/li>\n<li>Do not shift or move like pads can<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Those who do not like insertive methods<\/li>\n<li>Those who do not get many breaks throughout the day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not ideal for\u2026<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Those who cannot wash the panties regularly<\/li>\n<li>Those who cannot invest $20 to $100 in period panties up front<\/li>\n<li>Very heavy flows<\/li>\n<li>Individuals who wear larger than to size 3XL<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. There are other methods like <u><a href=\"https:\/\/helloclue.com\/articles\/culture\/whats-all-fuss-about-free-bleeding-why-does-it-matter\">free-bleeding<\/a><\/u> (not absorbing or collecting menstrual fluid) and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwhn.org\/menstrual-suppression\/\">suppression<\/a><\/u> (medically stopping menstruation entirely) that may suit some unique situations. Whatever your needs are, there is a menstrual hygiene method out there for you, and hopefully this list helps narrow down the choices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By: Sarah Hofstedt, CSUN Public Health Intern Our lives are full of decisions in this day and age: What will I make for dinner? Which movie should I see? Where should I go for spring break? We have more choices today than previous generations ever did, and menstrual health is no exception. Pads? Tampons? Menstrual [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,26,3],"tags":[4,5,6],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-learn","category-women","tag-hygiene","tag-menstruation","tag-women"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.csun.edu\/bewell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}