How much blood sanitary pads, tampons, and other menstrual products actually absorb is a question that many researchers still struggle answering because the way tampon manufacturers have historically tested their products' absorbency led to inaccurate results.
Instead of using actual blood to test the capacity of these menstrual products, manufacturers used blue saline solution just as many period ads, like the one below, have depicted throughout the years. However, when studies were conducted to test how much tampons actually absorbed, results have shown that they absorbed more blood than indicated.
This inaccuracy in testing procedures can cause a lot of misdiagnoses or the inability to even figure out whether a woman has any underlying health conditions. Excessive bleeding may be a sign of something serious like endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome, or infertility. But it's nearly impossible to determine how much women actually discharge based on how many tampons or sanitary pads they use.
Efforts are being made, however, to rectify the situation with a study that used real blood to test how much tampons, pads, cups, discs, and even period underwear can absorb. This study was conducted by a team of researchers from Oregon Health & Science University, and they used expired blood from the university blood bank to perform their tests.
Although it is touted as the first ever study to use real blood, a previous study had already been conducted by Nancy Reame, a nursing professor, which did the same thing. However, it was largely ignored since the FDA had approved the absorbency tests which used saline.
Now, more researchers are following in the footsteps of Reame, and are even going further by trying to figure out how the bleeding stops.
(Image credit: Natracare/Unsplash)
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Most people don't know how to properly pet a cat. No finesse, no dynamic feedback loop. I suspect these people are probably not great in bed, either. There's nothing sexual about petting a cat, but the parallel between being able to interpret responses to physical stimulation and adjust accordingly is there.
You have to imagine that you are the cat, and remember that what feels nice to a human is pretty much what feels nice to cats, the spine, neck, and shoulders being the obvious areas. Also, remember that less is more! A slow, light touch is almost always better than an aggressive one.
Ok, that's all, and yes i realize I sound like some sort of cat molesting pervert.
Cats are weird.