Adolescence is the time a girl hits puberty to blossom into a woman. Her reproductive health starts assuming as much importance as her general health. She has to get introduced to some hygiene practices early on to help keep her reproductive organs and health in top shape.
The Importance Of Menstrual Hygiene
Menstrual hygiene practices have to be inculcated from the teenage itself. This will help to keep the reproductive organs healthy and avoid infections. It will also help prevent bad odor and will make the red-lettered days comfortable.
Not following proper menstrual hygiene practices can put them at a higher risk of getting Urinary Tract Infections which can be troublesome, and even fatal when the kidneys are affected.
If proper menstrual hygiene practices are not followed, it can cause the Irritation of skin causing discomfort and leading to dermatitis, which is a medical condition in which the skin turns itchy, red, and sore with blisters.
Using harsh products can lead to variation in pH levels which can lead to infections potent enough to decrease your chances of conceiving. Repeated infections can increase your risk of preterm labor and abortions.
What Are The Basic Menstrual Hygiene Practices?
🌸 Underwear:
Always wear light underwear made out of breathable fabrics like cotton. It can be dried easily as well. Light-colored ones will show if there has been a spillover.
This will ensure that it is cleaned thoroughly. There are many detergents with stain-removing properties available. Sun drying it after washing will ensure that it is bacteria-free.
🌸 Keeping your lady parts clean:
Keeping pubic hair trimmed or shaved will help during the menstrual cycle. Also, make sure that you clean your vulva with water only. Using soaps with harsh chemicals can lead to bacterial vaginosis or yeast infection, as the normal pH content of the area gets wonky.
You should clean your genitals daily. You should clean your area from the front to the back as the anal region may fester more bacteria.
🌸 Staying hydrated:
You should avoid getting dehydrated during your periods and should ensure urine evacuation at regular intervals.
🌸 Changing frequently:
Menstrual blood when out of the body can attract a lot of microorganisms which will be attracted to its warmth that will facilitate its easy multiplication which may cause rashes, itching, and urinary tract infections.
🌸 Menstrual care products:
As you know there are a variety of menstrual products that you can choose from according to your requirements. You can choose sanitary pads normally, or use menstrual cups, menstrual discs, or tampons if you want to get physically active in sports.
Whatever your choice is, you must make sure that you clean your hands thoroughly before and after changing the product each time. Dispose of them carefully and do not flush them down the toilet. When you are going for reusable menstrual cups, you are going the eco-friendly way as they can be reused.
Tampons are recommended to be changed every four to six hours. Do choose a low-absorbency tampon so that you will change it frequently. You must ensure that your hands are cleaned properly before inserting the tampon to avoid infections. Avoid wearing tampons for more than 8 hours.
Sanitary pads need to be changed more frequently irrespective of the flow in order to prevent the harboring of bacteria. If the flow is more, you have to change it even more frequently.
Menstrual Cups need to be sterilized after use every month and air-dried properly before storing them away. As these are placed inside of you, you need to be sure that they are properly disinfected. Menstrual cups need to be cleaned after every use as well. Menstrual cup sterilizers help in cleaning the menstrual cups thoroughly. Otherwise, you need to keep a dedicated vessel wherein you can put the menstrual cup in boiling water to sterilize it completely. There are disinfectants available as well.
Period underwear: There are reusable period underwear that can be washed in a washing machine. They must be dried properly after washing to make sure that it is free from infection-causing bacteria.
Now we know that these basic menstrual hygiene practices can help you in the long run! What you use is not important as how you use it!
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