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Can You Swim on Your Period with a Pad?

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Two girls jumping in the poolTwo girls jumping in the pool

Having your period should never hold you back from doing the things you love, living life to the fullest, and having a great time.

This includes going on vacation, visiting the beach, or having a pool party with friends. What about swimming on your period with a pad?

Can you go swimming with a pad?Can you go swimming with a pad?

Can you go swimming with a pad?

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Swimming on your period with a pad is not advised.

Pads are made out of absorbent material that soaks up liquids within seconds.

Submerged in water like a pool, a pad will completely fill with water, leaving no room for it to absorb your menstrual fluid. Plus, it may swell up into a big soppy mess. No fun.

Water can also make the sticky backing that keeps your pad in place ineffective. This is why it’s not a good idea to swim on your period with a pad.

However, if you’re just lounging poolside or sunbathing on the beach, feel free to wear a pad. You may want to wear a pair of shorts or a cover-up over your swim bottoms to make yourself more comfortable. However, if you plan on taking a dip in the water, it’s better to wear a tampon.

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While we’re at it, let’s put your mind at ease about a few more things girls wonder about swimming while on their period:

BTW - getting your pad wet won’t cause you any harm. So, if your pad gets wet by accident, don’t sweat about it.

You can swim with a pad from a physical standpoint. It won’t hurt you in any way. But from a protection standpoint – no, you can’t swim with a pad.

If you’re comfortable using tampons, go ahead and put one in and dive right into the water.

  1. No. You won’t leave a trail of blood behind you

    Tampons absorb menstrual fluid before it even has a chance to leave your body, so there really is no way for it to get into the water in the first place.

    Even better, pressure from the water will actually stop your flow for as long as you’re in the water. If you sneeze or cough, a little fluid might come out, but in such a small quantity that it will be diluted by the water. In other words, no-one will see it – not even you!

  2. It’s not unhygienic to swim on your period

    Remember how we said that your menstrual fluid won’t get in the water? That means that there’s nothing unhygienic or unclean about swimming with a tampon in.

  3. You won’t get eaten by sharks

    Nope. Sharks aren’t going to smell you in the water because you have your period. Like we said, the water pressure temporarily stops your flow.

    This means that there really won’t be any menstrual fluid in the water for them to detect a la Jaws. Rest assured. There have yet to be any reported shark attacks on someone who is menstruating.