This is a real problem too
You can't always have everything you need — sometimes there's no money, sometimes there's no shop, sometimes travel or circumstances get in the way. There is a safe way to manage with what you have, and it's worth saying out loud.
A few practical points
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1
Cloth, if that's what you have. Clean, soft cotton cloth. Wash it with soap and water and dry it completely — in the sun if you can — and only use it again once it's bone dry.
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2
Hands, before and after. The simplest thing that prevents infection, and the one that gets skipped when you're in a hurry.
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3
Outside the body only. Nothing improvised — cloth, tissue, cotton wool — goes inside your body.
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4
Single-use means once. Pads and tampons aren't reused, even if they look clean.
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5
What goes inside your body is different. No tampon for more than 8 hours, even when you have nothing else. A cup has its own instructions.
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6
There's nothing wrong with asking. A sister, a friend, a school teacher or the nearest health centre. This is one of the most common things people don't talk about.
When not to wait
If you're using a tampon or a cup and you get a fever — or shivering, muscle aches, a rough rash, vomiting or confusion — take it out then and there and get emergency medical help. These are the signs of toxic shock syndrome, and there's no waiting it out.
And book an appointment if:
- you have a bad smell, itching, soreness or unusual discharge
- you have pelvic pain
Sources
Health information, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For your own symptoms, talk to a doctor.
Your cycle, honestly.
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