When sanitary pads should be changed?
- Sanitary pads should be changed once in 3 – 6 hours.
- Women with heavy flow during periods should change once in 2 – 3 hours.
- Women with average flow can change once in 6 hours.
Measures that should be taken during periods?
- Menstrual pads must not be flushed down the toilet as they can cause blockages.
- Choose a pad with appropriate thickness, absorbency, shape and style.
- Wearing the same pad for a long time gives you a wet feeling.
- Maintain hygiene.
- Take shower at least once a day.
- Change the undergarments regularly.
- Wash the genitalia with plain water.
- Maintain hygiene by washing hands while changing pads.
- Clean your vulvovaginal area frequently.
- Use a pH maintaining feminine wash.
- Wear light cotton underwear when you are not in periods.
- Do not use deodorants near the vulvovaginal area.
How prolonged usage of sanitary pads leads to cervical cancer?
Bad odour starts coming while wearing pads for longer periods. Some women wear pads irrespective of the periods, thinking that it keeps them fresh, but it is not true. The vagina also needs to breathe. If you don’t change tampons in time, it can cause toxic shock syndrome due to bacterial toxins. Prolonged use of sanitary pads cannot cause cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by HPV virus. Harmful chemicals like dioxin is used to bleach the cotton in the sanitary napkins, which is linked with side effects like pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cancer, damage to the immune system, impaired fertility and diabetes and impaired thyroid function.
