Almost half of the population of the world has a vagina. Of those people, a large chunk have periods. 

Guys tend to know a lot less than women. Now, ladies, gents, both, others, listen here. If you can afford it, carrying pads and tampons with you is one of the best and kindest things that you can do. I don’t have enough fingers and toes on my entire body to count the amount of times the following situation has happened:

Me, texting the group chat: Yo, does anyone have a pad? 

Best friend 1: I only have tampons. I’m sorry 🙁

Best friend 2: I have pads! Meet me at the south/west stairwell near the old wing at 12:16 and I can give it to you

Me: Ya know, this kinda sounds like a drug deal, but Ok.

I want to know how many times a hall monitor has been looking at a monitor, thinking they’re catching a drug exchange, only to see a brightly wrapped square exchange hands and then sigh in relief. 

Chocolate is also a wonderful thing to have on you at all times in case a friend is on their period. I promise that they will love you forever if chocolate is offered during that trying time.

But onto the main event here, let’s start with pads. Pads are sticky on one side and soft on the other. The sticky side goes onto the underwear and the soft side will absorb any blood that is lost. One should change their pad every three to four hours, maybe more or less as the situation requires. 

There are a ton of brand options available. Each brand has different styles within them and each kind is unique.There are pads for nightime, sports, heavy flow, light flow, and pads for everything in between. It may take some time, but you should figure out pretty quickly what works best for you.

There are also different styles of pads. There are some with wings, some without, some are longer, some are shorter. The best way to figure out what works is to buy a few different brands and try them as time goes on. 

Pads are beneficial to those who have a super heavy flow and are easy to remove and apply. They are the most simple to use and are what most people start out with. Pads can also be worn overnight which is a big plus. And, you can wear them with almost any item of clothing as long as you are wearing underwear.

If pads don’t work well, tampons could win the gold star. They come in a little sheath of cardboard or plastic most of the time. They can also be bought plain, without a casing. Just insert and then leave it in to soak up any blood that may be lost. 

Tampons should be changed every four to six hours. You should avoid sleeping in them as they can cause toxic shock and infection if left too long which can cause very serious health issues that may put someone in the hospital based on the severity. Bacteria can build up and get into the bloodstream and make a person exceptionally sick.

Tampons have as much versatility brand-wise, as pads. Tampons use a size rating from light to ultra.

 Each tampon expands differently. Take a few and stick them in a cup of water and watch how they fill and expand. Not everyone uses the same shape or size depending on the size and narrowness of their cervix and vaginal entrance. It all just depends on the person’s body and body shape. Some of the pros of tampons include the fact that you can swim in them and that you will not feel it if you place it in correctly. 

If pads and tampons aren’t quite your jam, menstrual cups could be the way to go. A menstrual cup looks like a tiny rubber bowl and to use it you fold it and push it in until it sits comfortably and can expand to form a seal. 

To remove you simply break the seal with your finger by pushing to the side and empty it into the toilet bowl.

 Cups are reusable so all that has to be done is to rinse it and boil it, then it can be used again. If you are using it actively, just rinse it out really well and clean it deeply later. 

There are a few good brands nowadays and there are options for all body shapes and sizes. Some popular brands include, Diva Cup, Cora, Flex, Lumma, and Nixit. They come in different sizes including wide canal, narrow canal, long, and short.

Some of the upsides to using a menstrual cup include the fact that you only have to buy it once and it can be a great way to save money. They also last up to ten years with proper care and can be used again and again.

There are dozens of options when it comes to period products and each have their own benefits. It all depends on what works for you and what you find comfortable. Each individual is different and if it takes a while to find what’s right for you then that is perfectly fine. 

There are always other options if you find that something does not work for you. Pads, tampons, and menstrual cups are all different and each have their own specific benefits. Never feel bad for having to try a few different things before you are happy.