Do you often use sanitary napkins to make it difficult to get pregnant, myth or fact? & bull; hello healthy

Sanitary napkins are things that save Indonesian women during menstruation each month. However, there is news that is widely heard that sanitary napkins are said to make it difficult for women to get pregnant. What does the medical world say about this?

Is it true that using pads makes it difficult to get pregnant?

Disposable pads are usually made of cotton which is provided with an absorbent layer. Within a day, women can use 2 to 4 pads during menstruation. You can imagine that within a week there are dozens of sanitary napkins used by women. So, is it true that frequent use of pads makes it difficult to get pregnant?

In fact, even though it contains various chemicals, BPOM RI and the FDA as the Food and Drug Administration Agency in the United States states this product is safe.

Indeed, there are several studies that report that sanitary napkins can cause skin rashes. One of them is published in the journal JAMA Dermatology. which states that the perfume in sanitary napkins can cause dermatitis in some people.

However, there is no research that proves that pads can make it difficult for women to get pregnant. There is also no valid research that can prove that routine use of sanitary napkins interferes with female fertility. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid to use pads as long as you use products that are proven safe.

The important thing is to keep the vagina clean and dry

For now, there is no need to worry about the myths surrounding sanitary napkins because they have not been scientifically proven. Habits during menstruation that you need to do and should not be ignored is to keep your intimate organs clean.

Maintaining vaginal hygiene during menstruation helps you avoid the risk of bacterial or fungal infections. Infection that is allowed to enter and spread to the pelvis. If the infection causes pelvic inflammatory disease, this complication will affect fertility.

Therefore, it is not sanitary napkins that make it difficult for women to get pregnant. However, it is the result of not maintaining vaginal hygiene that increases a woman's risk of becoming infertile.

How to maintain vaginal cleanliness during menstruation

Here are various things that need to be done to maintain vaginal cleanliness during menstruation, namely:

Routinely change pads

Changing pads is a mandatory thing that needs to be done while menstruating. How often you change the dressing depends on how much blood is drained.

But in general, it's best to change pads every 3 to 4 hours. You can also replace it more often if menstrual blood is heavy.

Wash hands before and after changing sanitary napkins

Make it a habit to wash your hands with soap before and after changing sanitary napkins. The goal is to keep the pads clean and not contaminated with germs that are on your hands when you are about to use them.

After that, don't forget to wash your hands again with soap so that the blood or germs that stick to the hands are completely rinsed off.

Clean the vagina in the right way

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ. This intimate organ does not need to be cleaned with special soap to keep it clean. You just need to rinse it with plain or warm water.

When washing, point your hand or spray water toward the anus or from front to back. This method is important so that bacteria from the anus do not enter the vagina and urethra, which can lead to urinary tract infections.

From now on, there is no need to be afraid of using sanitary pads because these things have not been proven to make it difficult for women to get pregnant. The important point is to maintain vaginal hygiene during menstruation to avoid the risk of infection.