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vaginapaginaHey vagina-friendly people!
In September, I'm going to Ghana for four months to do a study abroad program. For most of the time I will be doing an urban homestay, but there is a two week rural homestay portion, as well. I'm trying to figure out what to do about my period while abroad.
I have a few major concerns
1) I'm not aware of the cultural taboos in Ghana regarding menstruation, and I really want to avoid embarrassment in this area.
2) I'm not sure if something like a Diva cup is an option, since I have to boil any water that I use for bathing before I use it, which would make cleaning up a menstrual cup a big hassle - plus whenever I think of that I imagine parasites in my vagina. Not fun.
3) Especially during my rural homestay, I would like to minimize the waste I generate (especially since I'm not sure what I'd do with it) making pads/tampons problematic. This might not be an issue at all, since the homestay is only two weeks long, but I'm not sure when it is, so I might be on my period then.
So it seems to me that my best option is suppressing my period through hormonal birth control - which I have taken in the past and want to start taking again, anyway. I've heard horror stories about Seasonale, though - women who bled for 4, 5 weeks only stopping once they stopped taking it. When I took the pill before, I would successfully skip periods by skipping the placebo week, but never two months in a row. Maybe this could work?
Regardless, right now, I see my main options as the pill or the patch. I have a few months to adjust to whatever I decide on, so I'm wondering if any of you have gone through this and have any advice/other ideas.
In September, I'm going to Ghana for four months to do a study abroad program. For most of the time I will be doing an urban homestay, but there is a two week rural homestay portion, as well. I'm trying to figure out what to do about my period while abroad.
I have a few major concerns
1) I'm not aware of the cultural taboos in Ghana regarding menstruation, and I really want to avoid embarrassment in this area.
2) I'm not sure if something like a Diva cup is an option, since I have to boil any water that I use for bathing before I use it, which would make cleaning up a menstrual cup a big hassle - plus whenever I think of that I imagine parasites in my vagina. Not fun.
3) Especially during my rural homestay, I would like to minimize the waste I generate (especially since I'm not sure what I'd do with it) making pads/tampons problematic. This might not be an issue at all, since the homestay is only two weeks long, but I'm not sure when it is, so I might be on my period then.
So it seems to me that my best option is suppressing my period through hormonal birth control - which I have taken in the past and want to start taking again, anyway. I've heard horror stories about Seasonale, though - women who bled for 4, 5 weeks only stopping once they stopped taking it. When I took the pill before, I would successfully skip periods by skipping the placebo week, but never two months in a row. Maybe this could work?
Regardless, right now, I see my main options as the pill or the patch. I have a few months to adjust to whatever I decide on, so I'm wondering if any of you have gone through this and have any advice/other ideas.
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