Pads:

 Pads are a product that you put in your underwear, and they catch and absorb period blood. They have an absorbent side which faces towards your vaginal opening to catch the blood and an adhesive side that sticks to your pants. They come in many different absorbencies – sometimes boxes have drips on them to symbolise blood. The more drips a box has on it, the more blood the pad will hold. 

Some pads have wings to provide a more secure grip around your pants. All you have to do is unwrap the wings and stick them around your pants.

You should aim to change your pad every 2-3 hours or as often as you need to if you have a heavier period. It can get quite smelly if you wear it for too long! There are also special types of pads you can get for during the night – these are usually called “overnight” pads and will absorb more period blood than normal pads, meaning you can wear them longer.

When changing a pad, you MUST not flush it down the toilet because it will likely block it, but if it doesn’t, it may cause problems further down the sewage system or end up in the ocean. Simply wrap it in your next pads wrapping or in toilet paper and put it in a sanitary bin – usually found next to a toilet.

Pads might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but they are a very popular first period product. You can get both disposable and reusable pads – reusable pads have elastic instead of wings or adhesive. They can be washed again and again and last a very long time, so they can be good for saving money, too.