During menstruation, sanitary pads should be changed approximately every 3-4 hours, even with a light flow. If the flow is heavy, the changing interval may need to be shortened to about 2-3 hours, or sooner if the pad is heavily saturated. Even with a light flow, a sanitary pad should not be worn continuously for more than 6 hours.

Menstrual blood itself is not a direct cause of infection. However, wearing a sanitary pad for too long creates a warm and moist environment in the intimate area, which fosters bacterial growth. This also increases the risk of skin irritation, contact dermatitis, and unpleasant odor.

If you are busy with work and cannot change your pad exactly on time, extending the wear by about one to two hours is generally not a serious issue if your flow is very light. Nevertheless, to ensure hygiene and minimize the risk of irritation or infection, women should still aim to change pads every 3-4 hours and never exceed 6 hours.

AI-generated illustration

For nighttime, women can use specialized overnight pads, changing them before going to bed and immediately upon waking. It is not necessary to wake up in the middle of the night just to change a pad if the sleep duration is about 7-8 hours and the pad is not fully saturated. The important thing is to choose a pad suitable for your flow and ensure it is replaced at the start of a new day.

The production process of women's sanitary pads

Doctor of First Degree Specialization Pham Thi Thuong

Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, An Sinh General Hospital