Period products, explained.

There are more kinds of period product on the shelf than most boxes explain. This page describes six formats and one shop department, in the Reading Room’s fixed order: disposable period pads and liners, tampons, cups, discs, period underwear, reusable period pads, and comfort and care.

When this page says “readers”, it means everyone who menstruates. Each entry answers the same five questions, under the same five headings. Less common formats and the rules by country come last.

The order is fixed. It is not a ranking.

Disposable period pads and liners

What it is. A disposable period pad is worn inside underwear and absorbs flow after it leaves the body. It sticks in place. The US FDA counts liners as period pads.

How it’s used. You peel off a paper strip and press it onto your underwear. A US government page says, “Most women change their pads every few hours,” and to follow the product’s instructions.

A note on words: the source we cite here says “women”. We keep researchers’ words so we report their findings accurately. The Reading Room is for everyone who menstruates.

What it’s made of. The industry describes layers of materials such as cellulose pulp, cotton, viscose and polyethylene.

Care and disposal. Disposable period pads are made for one use. National Defence’s federal guide says: “No period products should be flushed down a toilet”.

What the label tells you. Period pad size and absorbency words are the maker’s own. Canada’s standard absorbency scale is for tampons only. Employment and Social Development Canada states: “Menstrual pads aren’t medical devices or regulated in Canada”.

Read more: What’s inside a period pad, layer by layer.

Tampons

What it is. A tampon is worn in the vagina and absorbs flow there. Some use an applicator.

How it’s used. Health Canada says: “Change your tampon every 4 to 8 hours, and do not use tampons overnight,” and “Use the lowest absorbency that will meet your needs”.

What it’s made of. Health Canada says tampons are “made from cotton, rayon, or a blend of both materials”. An industry association says strings are polyester or cotton.

Care and disposal. The US FDA says tampons are “meant to be used one time and then thrown away”. None should be flushed.

What the label tells you. Health Canada says tampons are “regulated as medical devices”, Class II. Its labelling guidance says packs show a standard absorbency word and a toxic shock syndrome (TSS) warning in English and French; materials go on the label or in a package insert.

Read more: “Super” on a period pad and “Super” on a tampon are not the same thing.

Cups

What it is. A menstrual cup is a flexible cup worn in the vagina. It collects flow rather than absorbing it.

How it’s used. It is emptied and rinsed between uses. The maker’s instructions say how long it can be worn and how often to empty it.

What it’s made of. Cups are commonly made of silicone.

Care and disposal. The federal guide says cups “should be rinsed out between uses and need sterilizing between periods.” Boiling water is one of the methods it names. One Canadian maker recommends replacing its cup once a year.

What the label tells you. In Canada, a cup is a Class II medical device and needs a Health Canada licence before sale. Licences are public in MDALL, Health Canada’s licence listing. Cases of TSS linked to cups have also been reported in medical journals.

Read more: Menstrual cups, explained gently.

Discs

What it is. A menstrual disc is a flat, flexible collector. It sits higher in the vagina than a cup, in the space around the cervix called the vaginal fornix. It collects flow rather than absorbing it.

How it’s used. The makers’ pages cited here describe reusable discs. The maker’s instructions say how long a disc can be worn and how often to empty it.

What it’s made of. One Canadian maker’s page says its disc is made of silicone. Other discs’ labels name theirs.

Care and disposal. Makers say to boil a reusable disc before first use and between cycles. One maker says to store it clean and dry, “away from humidity and scented products”.

What the label tells you. Health Canada’s device keyword index has no entry for menstrual discs by name. Health Canada has licensed menstrual discs, reusable and single-use, as Class II medical devices. Licences are listed in MDALL, Health Canada’s public licence database.

Read more: Menstrual discs, explained.

Period underwear

What it is. Period underwear has absorbent layers built into the gusset. The NHS says it soaks up blood “in the same way as pads”. Reusable and disposable versions exist.

How it’s used. It is worn like other underwear. A US government page says a pair “can usually last about a day, depending on the style and your flow”.

What it’s made of. The NHS describes it as made “from absorbent fabric”. The maker’s label names the fabrics.

Care and disposal. The federal guide says reusable pairs are rinsed by hand “until the water runs clear”. Cool water and air drying usually lengthen their life.

What the label tells you. Absorbency comes in the maker’s own units, often “tampons’ worth”. A 2024 study notes that only tampons undergo industry-regulated absorbency testing. It is a medical device in the US; Health Canada’s index has no entry for it.

Read more: How to wash period underwear, any brand.

Reusable period pads

What it is. A reusable period pad is one that “may be washed, dried, and used again”, as a US FDA draft guidance puts it.

How it’s used. It is worn inside underwear, like a disposable period pad. The maker’s instructions say how to fasten it and when to change it.

What it’s made of. The maker’s label names the materials.

Care and disposal. The federal guide says to rinse reusable period pads by hand “until the water runs clear”, then wash and dry them. Cool water and air drying usually lengthen their life.

What the label tells you. In the US, reusable period pads share a device code with period underwear. Health Canada’s device index has no entry for period pads. A US draft guidance, not in force, recommends that makers of period pads and cups document label claims about “washability or useable life”.

Read more: Reusable period pads, explained.

Comfort and care

What it is. Comfort and care is a shop department, not a period product. It holds items that support a period, such as pouches, wet bags and heat packs.

How it’s used. Each item is used as its maker describes. This entry names types of item, not products.

What it’s made of. Materials vary from item to item. The maker’s label names them.

Care and disposal. Each item comes with its own care or disposal instructions from its maker.

What the label tells you. Some items sold for period comfort fall under separate Canadian rules. Some are natural health products. Health Canada’s device index lists TENS electrodes and some heat packs as medical devices.

Less common formats

Two more formats come up in searches. Both have open questions, so they sit outside the main map.

Menstrual sponges. Menstrual sponges are worn internally; a US government page mentions them. Health Canada’s device keyword index has no entry for menstrual sponges, and the Editor could not confirm whether sponges sold for periods need a licence in Canada.

Reusable tampon applicators. The Editor found no Canadian or US regulator’s page on reusable tampon applicators. The FDA’s statement on reusable tampons is about tampons, not applicators.

What this is not

This Column describes six formats, the comfort-and-care shelf and two less common formats. It does not rank them, compare brands, or tell you which to choose. Two people with the same flow may choose differently.