Period hygiene​ questions answered

It may be a regular(ish) fixture in many of our lives, but that doesn’t mean we don't have to think about it at all. Poor menstrual hygiene can have some health implications, such as reproductive and urinary tract infections.¹ It can also lead to itching or rashes in the perineal region, bad odour, and sometimes even complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and toxic shock syndrome.²

Don’t worry if this is news to you – we’re here to put your mind at ease and help you know more about looking after your vulva during your period.

Before we tackle this question we need to talk about pH levels – that's the indication of how acidic of alkaline something is. This can impact the likelihood of infections.

Playing a significant role in determining vaginal health, the “vaginal pH value” is the pH level associated with the vagina. The naturally neutral pH is equal to 7, but the normal vaginal pH ranges between 3.8 and 5.0.^{3, 4}

When menstrual blood is in the vagina, vaginal pH increases.⁵ This is because menstrual blood has a pH of 7.4.⁶

Your vagina hosts delicate colonies of bacteria and yeasts that keep it healthy, maintaining a low pH level to prevent infections from developing. If the pH level is altered by douching, contact with semen, or menstruation, conditions can develop that may lead to pain, itching, burning, discharge, and bad odours.⁶

Thrush is a common yeast infection that affects men and women. It's usually harmless and not classed as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but it can be uncomfortable and recurring.

Symptoms of thrush in women include⁷:

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect your urinary tract, including your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) or kidneys (kidney infection).

Symptoms of a UTI may include⁸:

The NHS has advice on UTIs, including contacting your doctor or 111 urgently if necessary.⁹

Doctors don’t recommend douching as it can lead to many health problems. Douching is linked to vaginal infections and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).¹²

Health problems linked to douching include^12,13:

No, not necessarily.

In fact, the menstrual flow normally has a slight smell and typically, it’s metallic due to the iron in our blood. The smell might change from month to month, or due to mixing with other body odours such as sweat, especially if the weather is hot or you’ve been exercising on your period.^{14, 15}

If your period blood smells bad, for example fishy, yeasty, or rotten, this could be a sign of: ^14,15

If this is the case, it’s best to make an appointment with your GP or gynaecologist.

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ, though it’s important to keep your genital area clean and to wash the area around the vagina (vulva) and bottom every day – using only water to rinse your vulva.¹⁶

Changing the natural pH balance of your vagina by using soaps with chemicals to cleanse out the vagina can be harmful and may result in a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis.¹⁶

Top tip: When you go to the bathroom, wipe from the front of your body toward the back, not the other way.¹⁶

Washing your hands after changing menstrual products is also recommended, as this can help to prevent infections spreading, such as hepatitis B and thrush.¹

The best thing to do if you’ve forgotten to change your tampon or sanitary pad for a while is to remove it as soon as possible. It’s recommended to wear a tampon for no longer that eight hours at a time.

If menstrual blood sits against the vagina in a pad or tampon for an extended period, your vagina becomes less acidic, so it’s important to change pads and tampons frequently.⁶

If you forget to remove your tampon, it can turn sideways or may become compressed at the top of your vagina. This can make it difficult for you to pull it out. If you think you've left a tampon in and you can't get it out, go to your GP or nearest sexual health clinic. They can remove it for you.¹⁷

But don’t panic if a tampon gets stuck inside you. It's not possible for a tampon to get lost inside you, it’ll stay in your vagina after you've inserted it.¹⁸

Leaks happen, but luckily you can use common household items such as vinegar, lemon juice, or hydrogen peroxide as effective stain removers. These are especially good for tackling stains that have dried and set-in on your bedsheets. Always test a small area first.

How to remove period stains naturally:¹⁹

Our vulvas are as individual and unique as we are and knowing how to best care for them will prevent poor period hygiene.

Understanding your body’s norms and what to expect is how you can spot if something changes, so stay tuned to your body each month. For more, find out how to support your health at each stage of your menstrual cycle.