How to Use Menstrual Hygiene Products

How to use pads

Pads come in different sizes — they can be thin for when you’re not bleeding much (pantyliners), regular, or thick for heavier bleeding (“maxi”, “super”, or “extra heavy” pads). You can use whichever kind feels most comfortable to you. Here’s how to use them: 

• Stick the pad in your underwear using the sticky strip that’s on the back. You’ll have to pull off some thin plastic film and/or the pad’s wrapper first. Some reusable pads are held in place with snaps or the elastic in your underwear.
• Change your pad every few hours, or when it's soaked with blood.

Throw out your used pads by wrapping them back in their wrapper or with toilet paper and putting them in the trash. Flushing used pads or wrappers down the toilet will clog it up.

How to use tampons

Tampons come in different “sizes” (absorbencies), like light, regular, and super. It’s best to use the lowest or lightest absorbency that lasts you a few hours. Some tampons come with applicators — small sticks made of cardboard or plastic that help you put the tampon in your vagina. There are some tampons that don’t have an applicator, so you can just put them in with your fingers. Here’s how to use them: 

• Wash your hands and get into a comfortable position. You can squat, put one leg up, or sit on the toilet with your knees apart.
• Push the tampon into your vagina using the applicator or your finger, depending on what kind of tampon you have.
  • Inserting a tampon in your vagina is more comfortable if you’re relaxed. Using tampons with smooth, rounded applicators may make it easier. You can also put a little bit of lubricant on the tip of the tampon or applicator. If you’re having trouble, ask someone you trust to show you how to put the tampon into your vagina. Your nurse or doctor can also show you how to use tampons. 
• When you’re done putting in your tampon, throw the wrapper and applicator in the trash — don’t flush them.
• It’s best to change your tampon every 4-8 hours. Don’t leave your tampon in for more than 8 hours, as it can make you sick. You can wear a tampon overnight if you sleep for 8 hours or less, and change it as soon as you get up in the morning. 
• Tampons have a string at one end that hangs out of your vagina. You take the tampon out by gently pulling the string and letting it slowly glide out. It’s easier to take your tampon out when it’s wet and fully soaked with blood.
• Wrap used tampons in toilet paper and throw them away in the trash — don’t flush them.

If a tampon is in your vagina for a long time it can cause an illness called toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS is really rare, but dangerous. If you’re using a tampon and have vomiting, a high fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, a sore throat, dizziness, faintness or weakness, and a sunburn-type rash, take the tampon out and call your doctor right away. To help prevent TSS, use the lowest absorbency tampon you can and change your tampon every 4-8 hours or as often as needed.

Putting in a tampon usually doesn’t hurt, but it may take some practice in the beginning. Try different kinds until you figure out what you like best, but don’t wear tampons unless you’re actually having your period.

If putting in a tampon is very painful, talk with a doctor or nurse about it. You may have a medical condition, or it may be that your hymen is covering the opening to your vagina. Either way, a doctor or nurse can help you figure out why it’s causing pain and figure out what to do about it.

How to use menstrual cups

There are different kinds of cups, and they all come with specific step-by-step instructions and pictures. Cups may look kind of big, but they’re usually very flexible, and most people can’t feel them once they’re in.

1. Wash your hands and get into a comfortable position. You can squat, put one leg up, or sit on the toilet with your knees apart.

2. Squeeze or fold the cup so it’s narrow, and slide it into your vagina with your fingers. Use the directions that came with your cup to figure out the best way to squeeze it and how to place the cup.

• Putting a cup in your vagina is more comfortable if you’re relaxed. If you’re having trouble, ask someone you trust to show you how to put it in your vagina.

3. Some cups need to be put high into your vagina, near your cervix. Others sit in the lower part of your vagina. If your cup is uncomfortable or in the wrong spot, take it out and try again.

4. You wear a menstrual cup for 8-12 hours at a time, or until it’s full.

5. Some menstrual cups have a little stem that you pull on to take it out. Others are removed by hooking a finger around the rim, squeezing it, and pulling it out.

Most cups are reusable: you use the same cup over and over. Empty it into the toilet, sink, or shower drain, and wash it out before reusing it. If you're in a place where you can’t wash your cup, just empty it and put it back in. You can wash it later when you’re in a private bathroom or at home. Always follow the cleaning and storage directions that came with your cup.

Other cups are disposable: you throw them away after one use, or one period. Wrap these cups in their wrapper or toilet paper and throw them away — don’t flush them down the toilet.

Putting in a cup shouldn’t hurt, but it may take some practice in the beginning. It may even take a couple of periods until you feel like you’ve gotten the hang of it. You can wear a pad as a backup in case your cup leaks, but you can’t wear a tampon and a cup at the same time.

If putting in a cup is very painful, talk with a doctor or nurse about it. They can check to make sure everything is ok, or see if it may be that your hymen is covering the opening to your vagina. Either way, a doctor or nurse can help you figure out why it’s causing pain and figure out what to do about it.

How To Use Menstrual Discs

There are many brands of menstrual discs. Most discs are “one size fits all,” but some come in different sizes. Some discs are reusable, and others should be thrown away after each use. 

Unlike tampons and menstrual cups, menstrual discs fit higher up in your vaginal canal, just below your cervix in a place called the vaginal fornix. The disc will come with specific step-by-step instructions and pictures to help you insert it correctly and to make sure that it stays in place. 

Always read the instructions that come with your menstrual disc to make sure you’ve inserted it correctly. But here’s how you can use most menstrual discs: 

1. Wash your hands and get into a comfortable position. You can squat, put one leg up, or sit on the toilet with your knees apart.
2. Pinch or squeeze the disc in half with one or two hands. The disc should be in a figure 8 shape. 
3. Insert the pinched disc into your vagina. Angle it down and back towards your butt with the rim facing upward. If the disc has a notch, stem, loop, or hook, make sure that part is going in last.
4. Use your thumb or forefinger to push the disc as far back as it can comfortably go. Then, tuck the rim of the disc up behind your pubic bone. You’ll know it’s in place when you feel the front edge of the disc sit comfortably behind a hard groove or bump. Try your best to keep the disc pinched or folded while you insert it, and make sure it’s as far in as it can go. If the disc isn’t secure, it can move out of place and leak.
5. You can wear your disc safely for up to 12 hours at a time. 
6. To remove your menstrual disc: Wash your hands and take a deep breath to help relax your pelvic floor muscles. Squat, put one leg up, or sit on the toilet with your knees apart. Slide your finger into your vagina until you feel the edge of the disc. Depending on the brand, there might be a loop or notch to grab onto. Hook your finger under the rim and slowly pull the disc out. Empty the disc into the toilet or shower, save it for reuse, or wrap it up and throw it away.

It’s normal for some blood to come out of the disc while you’re sitting or squatting while using the bathroom. This is because sometimes the disc may slide down a bit when you’re moving your muscles to pee or poop. This will happen with a menstrual disc because it’s sitting at the top of the vagina. This is different from a menstrual cup, which creates a suction, keeping the cup in place. Once you finish, wash your hands and use a clean finger to put the disc back in. If your disc is leaking or slipping out of place, it might be too big or too small for you. Even though most discs are “one size fits all,” finding the right size might take some time, depending on the size and shape of your vaginal canal and the position of your cervix. 

Putting in a disc shouldn’t hurt, but it can take some practice in the beginning. It may take a couple of periods until you feel like you’ve gotten the hang of it. You can add a small amount of water-based lubricant to the disc to help it slide in more easily. Just make sure the lubricant is water-based and not silicone.

How to use period underwear

Wear your period underwear on days when you’re bleeding. You can wash your period underwear in the washing machine, the same way you wash the rest of your underwear. Your period underwear will come with instructions that explain the best way to wash them.

If you have a heavy flow or you’re wearing light-flow period underwear, you may need to change your period underwear more often than once a day, or get some extra help from a tampon, pad, or menstrual cup. When changing your period underwear while you’re out and on the go, carrying a waterproof bag or “wet bag” can be helpful to keep your soaked underwear in until you can get back home to clean them. 

No matter what kind of menstrual product you use, it should make your life easier and your periods more manageable. You can pick one product that works for you, or switch it up whenever you want or need to. But if a period product is ever causing you discomfort or pain, try a different one or talk with a nurse or doctor, like the ones at your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.