Why There’s a Tampon Shortage Happening in the U.S. Right Now
that it’s having difficulty sourcing raw materials for feminine care products like tampons and is also struggling to ship tampons to places that need them.
If you can’t find your go-to brand, don’t panic: There are alternatives. “The good news is that there are more options in 2022 than ever before from menstrual cups, to period underwear to pads,” Dr. Wider says. Here’s what you need to know about each.Pads and pantyliners are common alternatives to tampons and can also be used alone or with tampons to help catch leaks, points out, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
If you’re on hormonal birth control like the Pill or a vaginal ring, Dr. Streicher points out that you don’t need to have a period. The Pill and vaginal rings are designed to have a placebo period when you’d typically get your period, but Dr. Streicher suggests just skipping over that part. “Get rid of your period,” she says. “It’s perfectly safe to use these methods continuously. Certainly, a tampon shortage is a good reason to do it, but you can do it any time.