To celebrate Menstrual Health Day 2021 Gynaecologist Dr Shree Datta, is sharing her top tips for caring for your menstrual health, with dignity.
Dr Shree Datta – intimate wellbeing brand INTIMINA UK’s resident Gynaecologist – reveals five different low maintenance tips for managing menstrual health, from tracking your period cycle, to chatting with family and friends and refraining from using vaginals soaps, detergents and douching. Vaginas are self-cleaning don’t you know!
“Sadly, periods still remain a taboo subject, despite being a natural part of our health. Poor education and limited access to menstrual products can affect the health, education and work opportunities people are able to have. It’s time we addressed this, to make sure if there are any problems, they are addressed early.”
– Dr Shree Datta
Dr Shree Datta’s top 5 tips
1. Keep a diary or log your periods on an app to track how often they come, how long they last and how heavy they are. Even the colour and consistency of your period can change from day to day and cycle to cycle. Whilst some variation is natural from month to month, this can be useful if you’re trying to conceive or to highlight when there’s been a change in your periods – which can be the first sign of problems such as polyps in your womb developing.
You may also notice a change in your periods or their frequency when you’re stressed, or have lost weight for example. If you are not sure whether the changes you’re seeing are normal, speak to your Gynaecologist to see whether you need blood tests or an ultrasound to explore things further.
2. It’s not unusual to feel hot or messy during your period, but just remember it’s a natural monthly process that we are meant to go through. Experiment with different menstrual health products and brands – Remember the old adage that one size does not fit all?
Well, the same applies to our periods – some days are heavier than others and it’s a good idea to work with products that can respond to your period’s needs. So go try out that menstrual cup, in the privacy of your own home, at a time that suits you. Keep in mind that Intimina caters for the variation in menstrual flow you may experience with different sizes and styles of menstrual cup to suit you.
The different types of material period products are made of can affect your skin, so if you have sensitive skin you may have to trial different brands.
3. Make sure you change your period pad /tampon regularly to avoid overflow bleeding and dispose of them in a closed bin in the bathroom. How often you change can vary depending on how heavy your period is and you may have to go to the bathroom regularly to check whether it’s time to change.
Changing regularly reduces the risk of infections – for example, toxic shock syndrome has been associated with tampons which have not been removed. Try and avoid throwing away pads and tampons down the toilet as they can block the system. If you use a menstrual cup, these can be worn for up to 8 hours depending on your menstrual flow before emptying and you don’t need to carry around extra products to change it or throw it away securely after use, but do wash your hands after handling period products to avoid the risk of infection.
4. Remember your vagina is actually self-cleaning, so avoid internal vaginal douching with soaps and detergents, warm water is more than adequate. Although this can be tempting to “clean” your vagina, it can affect the balance of the natural bacteria in your vagina and its pH. This can lead to an overgrowth of certain bacteria in your vagina and increase your risk of infections.
If you have sensitive skin, soaps and detergents can also irritate the skin around your vagina – as can some of the material used in pads and tampons so you may have to trial different products. Menstrual cups such as the Intimina range are generally made of silicone, to make them flexible for inserting.
5. Talk about your periods with your friends and family – it’s natural to feel different in the time leading up to your periods and during it! Talking about your periods can flag up any problems, or explain how you feel and it’s a great way to work out self-care strategies that may be helpful, such as warm baths or gentle exercise.
Low-intensity exercise such as yoga or stretching is easy to do with friends and may relieve any pain you’re feeling as well as improving your mood. If you think there’s a problem, speak to your Gynaecologist early so that we can identify and treat it early. Periods are a natural process that all women experience every month so the more we talk about them, the more aware we become about their natural variation – and how to tackle any problems associated with them.
“We often take menstrual hygiene for granted and it’s heartbreaking to hear of the stigma some people still face when they’re on their period. In a world where the importance of health has never been greater, we cannot underestimate the importance of menstrual hygiene. We should not be defined by our periods. Investment in menstrual health is long overdue to ensure people are not limited during their periods. ”
– Dr Shree Datta
This Menstrual Health Day, INTIMINA is taking action against period poverty by donating over 200 Lilly cups to menstrual dignity charity Binti. As the first-period charity registered in the UK and India, Binti is on a mission to achieve menstrual dignity for people who menstruate, all over the world.
