Period products: What’s the best option for me?

Your periods may have only just started. Or maybe, your go-to period product just isn’t working for you anymore. Either way, choosing a period product that suits your needs, lifestyle and pocket can be an intimidating task.

Each period product comes with its own pros and cons based on affordability, insertion technique, reusability, hygiene preferences and safety. This means that there is no one solution for all women and girls, which also means none of us have to use the same products as our mothers, aunties or friends. Instead, what is important is having the information to make an informed choice that works for you based on your needs and preferences.

So here’s the deal: I'm not going to tell you which period product to buy. I’ll give you a breakdown of five different period products. I’ll walk you through how to use each product, factors to consider in figuring out whether each product would work for you, pros and cons and how much each product costs in your home country.

This information will help you decide which product is the one for you, because nobody knows you better than you. If you can, use these products on a trial-and-error basis until you find the right one for you. Remember, you don’t have to commit to your first pick.

Disposable Sanitary Pads

How do you use a sanitary pad?

Disposable sanitary pads are some of the most used period products – in fact, they’re probably the product you were introduced to first. They are designed to absorb menstrual blood by being stuck to the inside of your underwear. You can wear one for up to four hours after which you should remove it from your underwear, wrap it with a piece of toilet paper or newspaper and dispose it into a garbage bin.

Which type of pad should you choose?

Most pads are made using either cotton pads or plastic netted pads – both are safe to use, depending on what your skin best reacts to. There are different brands of pads and they come in many different sizes and thickness levels.

The key is to choose a pad size and thickness that works with the heaviness of your period flow – for example, my best friend has a heavy flow at the start of her period, so she uses a longer, thicker pad at the beginning of her period and a regular sized, slim pad at the end of her cycle.

What you might love about disposable sanitary pads

• Easy to use – you just need underwear.
• You do not have to insert anything into your body.
• Depending on where you are there are many size and material options for disposable sanitary pads.

What you might dislike about disposable sanitary pads

• They make noise when you remove them from your underwear.
• They can sometimes shift out of place which can be uncomfortable and may cause leaking.
• You can’t swim with a period pad.
• On average, people use 430 disposable pads in their lifetimes. So they are not environmentally friendly.

Reusable sanitary pads

How do you use reusable pads?

Reusable pads work just like disposable sanitary pads. You just wash and reuse them instead of throwing them away.

You place the pad onto your underwear and use clips to fasten them. They should be changed every four to six hours depending on your menstrual flow, but they tend to absorb more blood than disposable pads.

To clean reusable pads, first soak them in plain water to lift out the blood and then use mild soap and water to wash them. Afterwards, air dry them. You can also keep reusable pads for long periods of time. My sister kept her first set for four years!

Which type of reusable pads should you use?

Reusable pads come in different levels of thickness. Choose based on the heaviness of your menstrual flow. Because you must change reusable pads just like disposable pads, you will need to buy several pads. To decide how many you need, think about how many disposable pads you tend to use in a single day. If you typically use four disposable pads in a day, you will need at least eight reusable pads so you can alternate as they are being cleaned.

What you might love about reusable pads

• Comfortable as they’re made with soft, breathable materials.
• Cost-effective given that they are relatively cheap to purchase and can be kept for four years. In fact reusable pads are helping reduce period poverty.
• Because they are changed regularly, there is less odour.

What you might dislike about reusable pads

• Takes time to clean compared to disposable pads which you just throw away after use.
• More expensive to purchase than disposable pads.
• Can be messy and uncomfortable to come into direct contact with blood.

Tampons

How do you use a tampon?

Tampons are another widely used period product. Unlike sanitary pads, tampons are inserted into the vagina and thereafter absorb blood and other vaginal fluids during menstruation. Once inside, the tampon expands as it absorbs menstrual blood. Tampons might sound and feel  uncomfortable at first – they were for me. But once I learned to insert it correctly (by placing one leg on my bed before insertion), they became virtually unnotticable.

It’s also important to remember that you should only keep a tampon in for four to six hours or until it is completely saturated.

Which type of tampon should you use?

Tampons typically come in three sizes: light, regular and super. Choosing the best tampon size is usually a matter of determining which tampon size can asorb your menstrual flow. Beginners are typically encouraged to try out the light size first. If you try out regular or super sized tampons and they are mostly white after four to six hours, then size down.

What you might love about tampons

• Feel virtually unnoticeable if inserted correctly.
• Invisible under clothing.
• Smaller and therefore easy to carry and conceal.
• Low maintenance – you simply dispose of them after a single use. You don’t have to clean them.

What you might dislike about tampons

• Although quite uncommon, the risk of developing toxic shock syndrome is higher if the tampon is kept in the body for longer than 6 hours.
• Typically not budget friendly.
• Can be uncomfortable if sizing is off, as too-large sizes dry the vagina.

Period Underwear (Period panties)

How do you use period underwear?

Period panties are a period product that are worn just like regular underwear. They have multiple layers of microfiber polyester and are designed to soak up menstrual blood while keeping moisture away from your skin and preventing blood from leaking onto your clothes. Unlike disposable sanitary pads, period underwear is reusable, but it is important to change and clean period underwear at least every 12 hours (but can be more often).

How do you clean period underwear? When hand washing, wash it by itself, do not wash it alongside other clothing items, use a mild soap, rinse thoroughly to avoid skin irritation and let it air-dry afterwards.

Which type of period underwear should you use?

Multiple underwear brands produce period underwear and size would be determined by your current underwear size. Many types of period underwear have an anti-microbial layer to help get rid of odours.

What you might love about period underwear

• Can be used more than once and last between six months to two years.
• Can be used to catch discharge between periods or catch postpartum bleeding.
• Comfortable because they are made with soft, breathable materials.

What you might dislike about period underwear

• Lower absorbency levels so it may not be suitable if you have a heavy menstrual flow.
• Requires frequent washing which may be inconvenient.

Menstrual Cup (Period Cup)

How do you use menstrual cups?

Menstrual cups are another reusable period product. They are small cups made of rubber and silicone that you insert into your vagina where they collect, not absorb, menstrual blood.

Inserting a menstrual cup for the first time can be uncomfortable. But this discomfort can be avoided by wetting the rim with either water or a water-based lubricant. If you’ve used a tampon before, it’s the same process. After about eight to 12 hours, you remove the cup and wash it out for reuse. Make sure to wash your hands before inserting!

What type of menstrual cup should you use?

Choosing the right period cup can be complicated. Factors to consider include your age, the length of your cervix, heaviness of your menstrual flow, flexibility of the cup, cup capacity and if you’ve given birth vaginally. To identify the right cup size for you, it is recommended that you visit a healthcare professional.

What you might love about menstrual cups

• They are budget friendly – you buy one and can use it for between six months and 10 years.
• They hold more blood than other period products.
• Ability to wear the cup for longer periods of time which interferes less with everyday activities.
• Less odour than other period products.

What you might dislike about menstrual cups

• They can be messy – emptying a menstrual cup in a pubic restroom can be tricky.
• Some people find it difficult to insert the cup into the vagina.
• May required consultation in order to identify the right size which can be inconvenient and/or costly.

What is the most affordable period product?

All the options we’ve shared are healthy and safe, and you should make your choice based on comfort and personal preference. But for many people cost is a big deciding factor.

So here’s a quick price comparison. In the table below you’ll find the costs of each of the five period products discussed above, in three countries: Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Remember, some of the reusable products might seem pricey but this is just a one-off cost of a product that you can keep using for years.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the pros and cons of several period products, make sure to find a product that suits you best. Remember, your mum’s perfect product may not be yours – so make sure to experiment if you can! Make sure to follow us on social media to get more information and tell us and our community which products you would recommend.