Sanitary napkins are one of the most vital alternatives today to save yourself from unnecessary period spots and blood leaking problems. It is helpful to stay safe and let the blood flow in the right direction, especially that you don't have to put your fingers inside to insert the pads, so it's very comfortable thinking from that perspective.
According to the research, Sanitary Pads are comparatively healthy as compared to tampons. Using tampons can increase your risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome. In contrast to this, the tampon doesn't have any such flaws. Moreover, you are not at much risk of having allergic problems, if you change your pads after every 5 to 6 hours and clean your vaginal area. Although it can be troublesome to carry many times because of its bulky nature, it still ensures to cover the larger area so that the blood doesn't leak to other body parts.
Through this article, we will shed some light on menstruation pads and whether they are healthy to use or not.
Are Menstrual Pads Unhealthy?
According to one of the South Korean studies, many menstrual pads consist of chemical compounds that can be harmful to the users. Wearing pads for long hours during the menstrual time might increase the chances of these volatile harmful organic compounds getting absorbed by your genitals. The study also revealed that new sanitary pads might lead to irregularities or overflow in the periods. One of the apparent examples of such harmful effects was from the pads manufactured by a company named Lillian. Almost 15,000 women got into the trap of harmful effects from using these menstrual pads and they end up filing cases against this company. Women discovered rashes, irregular periods, and infections in the vagina. It further can lead to asthma, cancer, and serious brain impairment as well. Due to this pad, it was soon discarded from the market. Sanitary absorbent pads are made up of synthetic plastics. According to this study, various brands were tested to check for the VOC's I.e., xylene, chloride, toluene, and methylene. The study preferred not to rebel against the name of the brand but disclosed that this testing was done from the United States, France, Greece, Finland, Korea, and Japan.
The results stated that toluene high level was found in the 9 brands, xylene was overall found in the 11 brands and methylene chloride was found in the 2 brands. The study further revealed that phthalates were used in the sanitary napkins to make the plastic soft. The role of VOC in manufacturing pads was used as the dissolving agent. This revelation made us realize that most of the sanitary napkins we use today are unhealthy for us.
Types of Menstrual Pads
There are four different types of menstrual pads available in the market. You can choose them based on your needs and requirements. The different types of menstrual pads are listed below -
Cloth Sanitary Pad
They are generally eco-friendly and can be washed and reused again. Moreover, the only problem here is the hygiene part. I don't recommend using reusable sanitary napkins as this can cause some serious problems to your vagina.
Regular and Heavy Flow Sanitary Pad
It usually suits the best for the normal days. When the woman has to change her sanitary napkin after every few hours, she could opt for this particular option. On the days where you encounter the heavy flow of blood, you can go for the heavy flow of sanitary napkins.
Organic Cotton Sanitary Pad
Many women undergo latex allergy problems. These organic pads are made up of cotton and are completely suitable for women who have rashes or vaginal allergy issues. Moreover, it does not have the usage of bleaching powders or chemicals while preparing it. It is completely made up of natural products, so it's good as compared to others.
Reusable Sanitary Pad
These sanitary napkins are reusable. They can be washed and used again. For this reason, they are known as washable pads. These washable sanitary napkins consist of the big mark in the center point where you can insert the absorbent liners. The initiative to make these sanitary pads was to bring out eco-friendly alternatives. They don't require to be disposed of and can be used as many times as you want - based on your blood flow.
Men's role in protecting menstrual hygiene
Men play a vital role when it comes to supporting women for overall menstrual hygiene. Due to the existing gender inequality, the hygiene factors related to menstruation are often taken for granted and are neglected in the course. We have seen this thing generally that women are not allowed to use water or are not given access to sanitary hygienic facilities due to the existing so-called society norms. They typically consider menstruation as something impure and women are asked to stay away during these times. Men need to be highly educated on handling such issues. Proper training programs shall be conducted that could take men and women altogether. Women need the support of their husbands or even brothers or say it as many men in the house to help them with the household tasks, especially during this turmoil.
Key Takeaways
Sanitary napkins are one of the most useful and mandatory alternatives to overcome heavy menstrual problems. Sanitary napkins come in various types and not all are unhygienic. Depending upon how you use it and reach - you can go for the best suitable option. You can opt for the pad that suits your needs. Moreover, reusable pads can turn unhygienic and can be unhealthy too. Although you are nicely washing it for reuse purposes, still, it can be highly unhealthy for you. Also, search for the reviews of the sanitary napkins before using them and make sure to change them after every 5 to 6 hours for maintaining hygiene. In case of any irritation or rashes, contact the doctor as soon as possible without my delay.
References
https://www.ehn.org/amp/diapers-and-menstrual-pads-chemicals-2627099478