Can I Swim On My Period Or Is It Unhygienic
The long and the short of it is no, not at all. You can definitely go swimming while menstruating and not worry about leaving blood in the pool.
If you use a tampon or a menstrual cup, its extremely unlikely that blood will even enter the water, but if it does, swimming pools are all chlorinated to protect swimmers against the spread of disease from bodily fluids .
This fact was obviously overlooked by a fitness centre in Georgia in 2016, who posted a sign in the womens changing rooms sayingDear ladies! Do not go into the pool during periods. Supposedly, this was to protect other swimmers after someone contaminated the pool with menstrual blood, but its important to remember that youre not endangering anyones health by swimming when menstruating.
What Is The Best Feminine Care Product For Swimming On Your Period
Here comes the question that which feminine care product is best for this swimming situation.
Well, experts will definitely recommend that tampons are the best products to go for when you are planning to take a swim.
Tampons stay pretty much within your vagina and hence solves two purposes at the same time. Absorbing all your period blood as well as preventing your genitals from getting infected by the pool water.
Now, let us come to a few frequently asked questions about compatibility of swimming and tampons.
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How To Go Swimming On Your Period
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding periods to begin with, but swimming takes it to a whole other level. When your cycle hits with unfortunate timing, it can be frustrating to try to plan around it. But whether you are on a beach holiday, taking a dip in a hot spring, or planning to be poolside, you can swim without worry on your period.
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Swimming Can Relieve Period Cramps
Low-intensity exercise like swimming can actually help to relieve menstrual cramps . During exercise, your body releases endorphins that act as natural painkillers and give you an increased feeling of well-being. Research also shows that swimming can reduce premenstrual syndrome . For some people, exercise might be negatively impacted by their menstrual cycle. Olympic medalist Fu Yuanhui broke taboos when she told reporters that period cramps had affected her performance.
It Is Not Unhygienic To Swim While Menstruating
In 2016, a fitness center in the country of Georgia made headlines when they posted a sign in the womenâs locker room saying âDear ladies! Do not go into the pool during periods.â They claimed this was to protect other swimmers after someone âcontaminatedâ the pool with menstrual blood, but thereâs nothing unhygienic about swimming during your period. If you use a tampon or menstrual cup, itâs unlikely that any blood will be released into the water while you swim. Even if your period started while you were swimming and a small amount of blood came out, this would be diluted by the water.
Swimming pools contain small amounts of bodily fluids like urine and sweat, but the water is usually treated with chlorine to prevent the spread of disease. In other words, you are not endangering anyoneâs health by swimming during your period.
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Is It Safe To Go Swimming On Your Period
We understand your concerns, but we know its perfectly safe to swim while menstruating. So lets debunk a few myths about swimming on your period.
- Myth #1 – You shouldnt exercise during your menstrual cycle.Studies show that all exercise, including swimming, can when you have your period. If youre particularly fatigued during your flow, you dont always need high-intensity workouts like aqua aerobics or water jogging to reap the benefits of exercise. Even a low-intensity water sport, like a long slow swim, offers the same well-being.
- Myth #2 – Water pressure will block your period completely. Water pressure may temporarily block your menstrual flow, but any acute movement like laughing or sneezing can expel a small amount of menstrual fluid when youre immersed in water. And while any blood lost will dilute instantly in large bodies of water like lakes and oceans, think twice before completely ditching all period products when swimming. Remember that once you leave the water, gravity takes over and your flow will return.
- Myth #3 – Its unhygienic to swim on your period. Lets stop stigmatizing our menstrual cycles as unsanitary and dirty. Your period blood is natural, just as harmless as regular blood, and safer than the trace amounts of feces commonly found in public swimming pools and water parks that studies show cause infections. Bleed with pride and never be ashamed of your natural flow.
Sharks Can Detect Blood Very Easily
Sharks have larger olfactory glands than humans, and can detect even small amounts of blood from far away. In fact, great white sharks can detect a single drop of blood within a three mile radius.
The point is that if there is blood in the water, a shark can sense it. Even if you have a small cut on your finger or a jagged cuticle, the blood is detectable by a shark. However, its important to keep in mind that you arent the only life form swimming in the water.
When you are swimming in the ocean you are surrounded by scores of fish and other marine animals, which are also detectable by a nearby shark.
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Myth #: You Cant Swim With Your Period Without Protection
When the flow is not very abundant, at the end of the rules for example, or you swim in the open sea where small leaks are diluted very quickly in the water, bathing without protection is quite possible. Some people also practice free instinctive flow,which consists of releasing and retaining ones flow in a conscious way. Consider this option if it speaks to you!
Is It Unsanitary For Other People In The Water
Swimming pools have all kinds of chemicals to keep the water safe to swim . If you bleed in the water even a little bit those chemicals will prevent the transmission of blood-borne illnesses and will keep the water safe for other swimmers.
If youre in the ocean, its a vast vast thing with so many things floating around out there. The least of your worries is a little bit of period blood. Seriously, dont sweat this one.
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When You Should Avoid Swimming While On Your Period
There are a few circumstances when you should avoid swimming.
“It is best to avoid swimming on your period if you have had a procedure recently in the vagina i.e. surgery, D& C for miscarriage, hysteroscopy, egg retrieval,” says. Ho. “It is also best to avoid swimming if you have delivered a baby recently, within a couple weeks, or are still bleeding after a miscarriage.”
The bottom line is, you are safe to swim during your period, and it may even help with cramps.
How Can You Swim During Your Period Without A Tampon
Swimming while menstruating without a tampon is totally a thing. You can choose a zero-waste solution, like a menstrual cup, or you can just trust your body and your awareness of it, by which we mean you can learn how to instinctually flow freely. First, train yourself at home, where theres no pressure. Work on detecting strong flow days, and then see if you can identify days when swimming during menstruation makes the most sense for you.
Finally, if youre not comfortable with it, thats cool just be patient. The most important thing is to listen to yourself, no pressure, and go for it when you feel comfortable! Start slowly. Do a few short swims to gain confidence. And dont be afraid of leaks. Menstrual blood isnt dirty, and menstruating shouldnt be embarrassing. Free yourself of your anxiety and societys bogus shame. Rediscover the joys of swimming while preserving the environment but, hey, only if you wanna!
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Can I Get An Infection When Im Swimming On My Period
Its very unlikely youll get any sort of vaginal infection when youre swimming. If you are swimming in contaminated water, it usually will irritate your skin or give you an awful stomachache if you swallow it.Period or no period, its always a good idea to shower after a dip in the pool. Chlorine can often irritate the vulva or vagina, and thats no fun. Yeast infections or UTIs arent super uncommon if youre swimming every day in the summer. A quick rinse off can help prevent that sort of thing.
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Can Swimming Help Sciatica
Sciatica pressure placed on the large sciatic nerve by something like inflammation can cause pain in the back and the back of the leg swimming with sciatica can help lessen the pressure on the sciatica nerve, strengthen muscles and promote the release of endorphins, which are natural pain relievers.
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Can You Go Swimming Without Period Protection
Yep! If you like to free bleed, are uncomfortable, dont like insertable products, or cannot afford alternatives, dont sweat. If youve gone in the water before with your period, you might have noticed you dont bleed. This is because of the water pressure which works against the force of gravity. Its actually a myth that you stop bleeding completely the truth is that you can still leak. If you sneeze, cough, laugh, or move around too much blood might come out.
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Menstruation And Swimming But Were Afraid To Ask
Its a fact of life: Females of childbearing age typically menstruate for an average of four to eight days on a regular cycle of roughly every 28 days.
Its part of the reproductive cycle, The Office on Womens Health within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services explains: When you menstruate, your body discards the monthly buildup of the lining of your uterus . Menstrual blood and tissue flow from your uterus through the small opening in your cervix and pass out of your body through your vagina.
This happens like clockwork for some, less consistently for others, depending on a range of health and environmental factors. Every womans cycle is different.
For some, they bleed for three days every 21 days. For others, an eight-day period that occurs every 38 days is normal. Still others may have periods that fluctuate, and hormonal birth control pills can be used to skip periods for months on end.
For most women, its just part of being female and something they get used to managing. The OWH reports that women can usually expect to have a period nearly every month or so for an average of about 40 years. Most girls can expect their period to begin during puberty, usually sometime between 11 and 16 years of age, and last until menopause, which typically arrives somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55.
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What Happens If I Don’t Have Pads Or Tampons Handy
If this happens, here are your options: Borrow from a friend, buy some from a restroom dispenser, visit the school nurse if you’re at school, or call home so your mom or dad can bring you what you need. If you are desperate and trying to keep your clothes from staining, you can fold up some tissues or toilet paper and place them in your underwear. That won’t work for long, so you’ll need to get some pads or tampons quickly.
If you’re nervous about telling the school nurse, a teacher, or another adult about what you need, write it down on a piece of paper or use code words. You might say that “it’s that time of the month” or that you need some “personal supplies.” Even better, keep extras in your backpack, locker, or gym bag.
Sharks Can Detect Other Bodily Fluid
Sharks dont just detect blood, they can detect other bodily fluids, like urine. They can also detect secretions made by fish and marine plants. Just because a shark can sense these secretions does not mean the shark recognizes it as a food source.
Sharks dont consider humans part of their diets. Theyd much rather prey on fish and other ocean life than attempt to attack a human.
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Does Your Period Stop When Youre In The Water
When you get into the water, your menstrual bleeding doesnt stop, but the blood doesnt flow out at the same rate either.
Why? This is because the water exerts pressure on your vagina, which counteracts the effect of gravity on your flow.
However, if you do something that exceeds the counterpressure of the water like sneezing or coughing some blood will get into the water.
How To Choose The Right Feminine Care Product To Wear In The Water
So to be safe, you’ll likely want to wear some sort of feminine care product. When it comes to the best one to use when swimming, it really comes down to personal preference. Two recommended by experts are tampons and menstrual cups.
“It is perfectly safe to swim with a tampon in,” says Jennifer Meyers, CNM, a certified nurse-midwife at the Mayo Clinic Health System. “When a tampon is inserted, it sits very high in the vagina to collect any menstrual flow. The rest of the vagina stays fairly closed during swimming, so there’s not a lot of exchange of fluid between what’s in the vagina and the water outside of it.”
While any type of tampon should work, you may benefit from a high absorbency or one designed for women who do sports. But you should change it once you’re done swimming.
“A tampon will absorb the water from the lake, pool, or ocean while you are swimming, so it is important to change the tampon when you get out of the water,” says Ho. “Otherwise, the tampon will be saturated and will not absorb the blood from your period.”
And if you’re not a fan of tampons, menstrual cups work just as well. “The cup should stay well-placed during swimming, and provide a barrier between the menstrual flow and the water,” says Meyers.
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Myth #: Our Rules Stop In The Water
It is likely that you have already heard that your menstruation was paused in contact with water. You may have noticed yourself that your menstrual flow was stopped when you took your bath. However, this is not the case. Menstruation is not paused once in the water. This phenomenon is explained by the pressure of the water which temporarily and partially slows down the flow of blood. So the rules are not really stopped.
Can You Swim With A Tampon In
Swimming with a tampon is perfectly safe, says Jennifer Meyers CNM. While the rest of your body stays fairly closed during swimming and theres not much fluid exchange between whats inside you and outside water, one way or another either because it needs more absorbency than average for activities like sports or just doesnt want any leakage at all-can be worn without issue as long as theyre changed after use!
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How Does It Work
While each brand differs slightly in their method, all period swimwear has the same goal to absorb liquid. Modibodi are an Australian company who specialise in period proof underwear, sleepwear and swimwear. Given that we live in a beach-loving country, its no surprise that theyve been steadily increasing in popularity since their creation.
Using their innovative patent-pending Modifier Swim Technology, their swimwear line is water-resistant, stain-proof and odour preventative. Basically, it can do anything and everything. Each swimsuit is fitted with a triple-layered gusset which absorbs and locks in fluid to prevent it from leaking out so you can feel extra secure while youre in the water.
If youre wondering just how absorbent they are, each garment can hold up to 10ml of fluid which is the equivalent of two tampons. Theyre also UPF50+ which is the maximum sun protective rating achievable for fabrics. We told you they were pretty great.
The best part is, they look and feel just like regular swimmers but still allow you to go surfing, swimming, snorkelling or hit the sauna. Theyre also a saving grace if youre at the end of your period and keen to lie on the beach without worrying about light leakage once youre out of the water.
What If Blood Leaks Through My Undies And Pants
Oh, no! There’s blood on the back of your pants what do you do? It happens to just about every girl at some point. Sometimes it happens when you aren’t at home, so you can’t change right away. But if you’re wearing a sweater or jacket, you can take it off and tie it around your waist. Then get a fresh tampon or pad so that it doesn’t bleed through your pants more than it already has.
Change as soon as you can. You’ll need to rinse your underwear and pants with cold water as soon as possible. Sometimes, the stain comes out and sometimes it doesn’t. To avoid this problem, change your pads and tampons regularly and keep extras in your backpack or locker.
For extra protection on heavy days, some girls use a tampon and wear a pad or absorbent period underwear. You also might want to wear dark-colored underwear and pants during your period.
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