Menstrual product
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A menstrual product is a feminine hygiene product used to collect menstrual discharge, for instance a tampon or sanitary napkin. Among all methods of collecting or absorbing menstrual blood, tampons and sanitary napkins are the most common, [1] although rags, menstrual cups, sea sponges, and pantiliners are also used.
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[edit] Types of Menstrual Products
[edit] Tampons
Main article: Tampon
A tampon is a usually cyndrilical plug of cotton and/or Rayon that is inserted into the vagina and absorbs the fluid during the menstrual cycle. Some come with plastic or cardboard applicators for smoother insertion. Tampons come in a variety of absorbencies and can hold a sufficient amount of blood, but are sometimes prone to leakage if inserted improperly or if too low an absorbency is used. Besides sanitary napkins, they are the most used means of disposing of menstrual fluid.
[edit] Health risks
The largest health concern regarding tampon usage is the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome that is associated with the use of tampons. They should never be left in the vagina for more than eight hours at a time, as this can greatly increase the risk of TSS. It is also recommended to use the lowest absorbency needed for the flow.
The manufacturing of tampons involves certain chemicals such as bleach and certain pesticides, which causes much concern about tampons and the impact on health.
Tampons containing rayon have also been shown to cause scratches in the vaginal walls, which can make the vagina more suceptible to bacterial infections.
[edit] Sanitary Napkins
Main article: Sanitary napkin
Sanitary napkins are another menstrual product commonly used among women. They are porous "pads" with adhesive on the reverse that are normally worn in the underwear and like tampons, are available in many different absorbances and variations. Many come with attached wings which fold around the undergarments and stick for additional protection, to prevent the napkin from losing its adhesive bond and moving around. Sanitary napkins can either be made of disposabe plastic material or a reusable cloth that can easily be washed and re-worn. See also: cloth menstrual pads.
Unlike tampons, there is no risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, since it is not worn internally, and depending on the absorbency and flow, a sanitary towel can be worn for 2-6 hours before it may need to be changed.
[edit] Pantiliners
Main article: Pantiliners
Pantiliners are very thin types of sanitary napkins that are normally used to collect normal vaginal discharge, but can also act as a type of back-up protection used with tampons in case of leakage. Like sanitary napkins, they can also be made of cloth as an environmentally-friendly substitute to disposable pantiliners, and also come in different absorbencies, though they are usually not suitable for use during the menstrual cycle alone, because they are not as absorbent as tampons and sanitary napkins.
[edit] Menstrual Cups
Main article: Menstrual cup
Menstrual cups usually come in two varieties: Either a bell-shaped (latex or silicone) cup, or a diaphragm-like barrier which collects discharge. Menstrual cups are considered better for the environment by many since they do not use some chemicals that are used in the manufacturing of tampons and/or sanitary napkins and pantiliners. There are also less health risks and concerns associated with cups than with other forms of feminine hygiene, as menstrual cups do not scratch the vaginal lining (like tampons do), have never been linked to TSS, and can be left in for up to 12 hours. However, as latex is an allergen, there have been instances of allergic reactions associated with the use of menstrual cups made from latex, however, silicone cups are the more common.
[edit] Sea Sponges
Sea sponges can be inserted into the vagina and used in a fashion similar to tampons to dispose of menstrual discharge.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~sumanah/keeper.html Comparing menstrual products
