#pad shaming

Pad shaming. It’s a thing. Really. 

Pads, or sanitary napkins, are often considered as a sort of ‘starter’ for period products. The change to tampons or a menstrual cup is seen as a right of passage, just as a first period is, a sign of coming maturity. These options are valued for the freedom they provide and the supposed lack of hassle that comes with sanitary napkins. Outside of these factors, pads are sometimes viewed by those not using them as untidy and ‘gross’, compelling them to ‘pad shame’ the women who do. However, there are valid reasons to prefer pads to other feminine hygiene options.

For some, anxiety around the insertion and use of tampons keeps them from using the product. In an article on METRO, one woman says she was motivated to stick with pads because she had “worries about toxic shock syndrome” (Lindsay). For others, it’s about comfort or about culture practices. Whatever reason they have, women all around, of all ages, are choosing pads.

But the shame persists. Women who choose pads are treated as oddities, as well as viewed as more immature. They field questions such as ‘how old are you?’, ‘isn’t that unhygienic?’ and ‘isn’t it bulky?’ (Lindsay). 

Whatever a woman chooses, its her body, and her choice. It’s time to move past the stigma around pads.