Can you swim on your period? Pool, lake, ocean and hot tub

Summer at the lake. A swim meet on a Saturday. A hot tub after a long week. A period does not cancel any of these, and this Column starts there. It reports what health sources say about swimming, and where they say nothing. It goes through each format in the Reading Room’s fixed order. Then it goes to the water itself: pool, lake, ocean and hot tub. It does not tell you which format to wear. Two people with the same flow choose differently, and both are right.

What health sources say

The clearest Canadian answer comes from SickKids, the Toronto children’s hospital. Its AboutKidsHealth page says: “Menstruation is normal and healthy. People who menstruate can still enjoy swimming, running and all of their normal activities.” That page was last updated on 30 October 2019.

The Editor also read Health Canada’s tampon page, the NHS pages “Periods” and “Heavy periods”, and nine pages of yourperiod.ca, from Canada’s Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGC). None of these pages addresses swimming. That does not mean there is no guidance anywhere. It means these pages do not cover it.

Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) mentions swimming in its menstrual health guide. It names period swimwear as “an option on the market”. For long days of activity, such as hiking or camping, it says to “carry extra supplies”.

People who menstruate can still enjoy swimming, running and all of their normal activities.

Each format and water

Each entry says what the sources we read cover. Each one also points to the same place for the water question: your product’s own instructions.

Period pads & liners. An industry association describes the absorbent core of a disposable period pad as the part that absorbs and holds fluid. What that means in a pool or a lake is not described in the sources we checked, either way. Whether a period pad is meant to be worn in the water, and for how long, is in its maker’s instructions.

Tampons. A tampon is worn inside. Whether it is meant to be worn in the water, and for how long, is in its maker’s instructions. Health bodies also publish general timing rules, below. Health Canada’s tampon page, the SOGC’s first-period page and the FDA’s “Tampons” page do not mention swimming. Their timing rules are general. Health Canada says: “Change your tampon every 4 to 8 hours, and do not use tampons overnight.” The SOGC’s first-period page says tampons “should be changed frequently – every 4-6 hours – to reduce the risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).” The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says: “Change tampons every four to eight hours… Do not use a single tampon for more than eight hours.” Health Canada and the FDA both say 4 to 8 hours; the SOGC says 4 to 6; the FDA adds an eight-hour maximum for a single tampon. We report each, with its source, and take no position.

Cups. A cup is worn inside and collects flow rather than absorbing it. Whether it is meant to be worn in the water, and for how long, is in its maker’s instructions for your cup. Wear-time figures from health bodies are in “Menstrual cups, explained”.

Discs. A disc is also worn inside and collects flow. Whether it is meant to be worn in the water, and for how long, is in its maker’s instructions for your disc. More on discs is in “Menstrual discs, explained”.

Period underwear. The NHS says period underwear will “soak up blood in the same way as pads”. Whether a pair is meant to be worn in the water, and for how long, is in its maker’s instructions.

Period swimwear. Swimwear with an absorbent lining is sold. DND calls it “an option on the market”. How long a piece is meant to be worn in the water, how much it holds, and how to care for it are in its maker’s instructions. We did not retrieve a maker’s instructions to quote, so this Column makes no claim about how it performs.

Reusable period pads. Whether a reusable period pad is meant to be worn in the water, and for how long, is in its maker’s instructions. Care is in “Reusable period pads, explained”.

Comfort & care. Readers describe a towel or robe for changing, dark swim shorts over a swimsuit, and a bag for used items. DND describes “a sanitary pouch or sealable waterproof bag” for carrying used products until there is a bin, or reusables until they can be cleaned.

A note on words: some sources we quote here say “women”, “men” or “pads”. We keep sources’ words so we report them accurately. In our own words, we say “period pads”. The Reading Room is for everyone who menstruates.

Pool, lake, ocean, hot tub

Pool. We found no period-specific pool guidance from Health Canada, the NHS or the SOGC.

Lake or river. We found no period-specific guidance for lakes or rivers either. Cottage season is when many Canadians ask.

Ocean: the shark question. The International Shark Attack File, a research archive at the Florida Museum of Natural History, has a page on exactly this. It says:

• “Menstrual blood in the water could be detected by a shark, just like any urine or other bodily fluids. However, there is no positive evidence that menstruation is a factor in shark bites.”
• “Currently there is a gender ratio of 8 men for every 2 women bitten.” The archive explains this in its next lines: “Meaning, more than 80% of our recorded shark bites in history happened to men. This reflects a historic pattern of more men engaging in marine aquatic activities.”
• “If someone is attempting to maximize reduction of risks, staying out of the water during menstruation is one step that can be taken. However, many people safely dive while menstruating, and we have continued to see no obvious pattern of increased shark encounters.”

It is a shark research archive, not a health body. We report its main lines, including the caution, and add no opinion.

Hot tub. We didn’t find official guidance on wearing a tampon, cup or disc in a hot tub. The timing rules above are the only published numbers we found for tampons.

Common questions

How long can I leave a tampon in after swimming? Health Canada’s tampon page, the SOGC’s first-period page and the FDA’s “Tampons” page do not mention swimming. The published numbers are the general ones above: Health Canada’s 4 to 8 hours, the SOGC’s 4 to 6 hours, and the FDA’s eight-hour maximum.

Does your period stop in the water? You may read that it does. We couldn’t confirm it. The one page we found that suggests it gives no source for the claim, so we don’t repeat it as fact.

My child is on the swim team. What do other swimmers use? Swimmers use different formats. The Department of National Defence’s “WDH Guide to Menstrual Health” gives advice on formats for swimming. We do not repeat it here, because the Reading Room does not rank formats, for swimming or anything else. The format explainers can help you and your child talk it through. Questions about your child’s body belong with a healthcare provider.

What this is not

This Column reports what health bodies, a federal department, an industry association and a shark research archive say, in their own words. It says where they are silent. It did not test any product or compare brands. It does not name a best format for swimming. Two people with the same flow choose differently, and both are right.