4 Period Facts You May Not Know

1. Light or Heavy? What’s the Deal with Menstrual Flow?

Your period may be light on the first and last day, and heavier in between. Some girls have light periods when they first start menstruating. During these times, Modess Dry Max Maxi Regular will help you feel clean and fresh all day long. Many girls actually don’t get heavy periods for several months after they first start menstruating. For heavier-flow days, use Modess Day & Night for better protection when you are out and about. Longer pads such as Modess All Night will also protect you better while you sleep.

To understand the pattern of your periods, it is a good idea to use a period calendar app to keep track of when they start and end, and how heavy or light they are. This way you can be better prepared (and properly stocked with the right pads) for your period!

2. You Actually Bleed Less Than You Think During Your Period

Menstrual blood consists of blood and extra tissue from your uterine lining. While you might feel like you are bleeding a lot during your menses, the average amount of blood lost during each period is about 0.30 to 1.2 ounces (oz) or 10 to 35 millilitres (ml; about one-and-a-half shot glasses). In fact, each soaked sanitary pad holds only about a teaspoon (0.2 oz or 5 ml) of blood.

To ensure your comfort and protection during your period, use Modess All Night on heavy-flow days and nights. Try Modess Dry Max Maxi Regular (with or without wings) on lighter-flow days, to keep fresh and dry all day.

3. A Girl Can Get Pregnant When Having Her Period

While a woman is most likely to get pregnant when she has sex just before or during ovulation (when an egg is released), it is possible to become pregnant when you have sex during your period, especially if your menstrual cycle is shorter. A regular menstrual cycle lasts about 28 to 30 days. However, a shorter cycle (21 to 24 days) means that ovulation occurs earlier in a woman’s cycle. Since sperm can live inside a woman for up to five days, if she has sex towards the end of her period, she may become pregnant when she next ovulates.

4. There are Still Countries Where Women Use Rags Instead of Sanitary Pads

Before sanitary pads became easily available, many women used absorbent rags to soak up their menstrual blood. This led to the usage of the term “on the rag” in some countries referring to the days a woman has her menses. The rags would be torn into strips, folded and worn with underwear, then washed in bleach and reused. Sadly, due to menstruation being viewed as a taboo topic in some societies, many women still use rags in place of sanitary pads simply because of the shame of buying female sanitary products from men.

Thankfully, there are organizations worldwide that are trying to change this perception, working to enable easier access to sanitary napkins for women in these countries. After all, a period is a natural part of a girl’s womanhood and nothing to be ashamed about.