Menstrual hygiene, without the myths

Change menstrual products according to the instructions on the pack, your flow and your own comfort. Heavier days mean more often, and there is no prize for stretching one pad further.

Tampons are the exception where timing matters more, because of the small but real risk of toxic shock syndrome. Follow the maximum wear time on the packet, use the lowest absorbency that suits your flow, and do not leave one in overnight beyond that time.

Menstrual cups and discs have their own emptying and sterilising instructions. Read them once properly rather than guessing.

Wash your hands before and after changing a product. This is the part that reliably reduces infection risk, and it is the part most often skipped in a hurry.

For the body itself, plain warm water on the outside is enough. The vagina cleans itself and does not need washing out.

• Douching is not recommended. It disturbs the normal balance of bacteria rather than improving it.
• Scented washes, wipes, sprays and "intimate hygiene" products are unnecessary and are a common cause of irritation.
• A change in smell that is strong, persistent or comes with itching, soreness or unusual discharge is worth mentioning to a healthcare professional rather than covering up.

Wrap used disposable products - the wrapper from the next one works - and put them in a bin, following whatever local waste-management guidance applies where you are.

Do not flush pads, liners or tampons. They do not break down, they block drains, and they end up in waterways. This is a plumbing and environmental problem rather than a health one, but it is the one most schools and workplaces actually have to deal with.

Where a bin inside the cubicle is missing, that is a facilities failure, not a personal one. It is worth asking for.

Pads, tampons, cups, discs and period underwear are all reasonable choices. None of them is inherently more hygienic than another - the right one is the one that fits your flow, your day, your budget and your circumstances.

Things people find matter in practice: how long you can be away from a bathroom, whether you have somewhere private to wash, how heavy your first two days are, and what you can reliably get hold of.

Using two products at once - a tampon and a pad, say - is common on heavy days and is fine, though it can make it harder to notice how much you are actually bleeding.