Sanitary hygiene 101: Mistakes women still make and how it affects long-term health

Walk into any chemist in a Tier 2 town today and you will find sanitary pads on display behind the counter, sometimes even on an open shelf. That is progress. A decade ago, they were wrapped in newspaper and handed over in hushed tones. Awareness campaigns have done their work.

But awareness of a product and knowledge of how to use it correctly are two very different things. Gynaecologists across the country will tell you the same story: patients walking in with recurrent infections, rashes, or worse, having done nothing technically wrong by their own understanding. The habits were just never right to begin with.

The four-hour rule that most women ignore

On lighter flow days, pads are often worn for six to eight hours, sometimes longer. It feels manageable, there is no visible leakage and changing does not seem necessary. But the concern is duration. Most guidelines recommend changing every four to six hours, regardless of flow. Over time, heat and moisture build up, creating conditions where bacteria and fungi can grow. This increases the risk of urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and contact dermatitis, the kind of persistent, painful rash along the inner thighs that is often mistaken for simple chafing and managed with talcum powder.

For those using tampons, the stakes are higher still. Toxic Shock Syndrome although rare but it is directly tied to tampons left in place too long. The inconvenience of changing more frequently is considerably smaller than what a serious infection demands.

A simple direction that most of us were never taught

When cleaning after using the toilet, the direction should always be front to back, never the reverse. Wiping the other way drags intestinal bacteria toward the vaginal opening and urethra. It is one of the most preventable causes of recurrent UTIs in women, and it is almost never discussed in school health classes or at home.
The same logic applies to washing. The vagina has its own cleaning system, a delicate balance of bacteria, primarily lactobacillus, that keeps infections at bay. Disrupting it with soap, scented washes, or internal douching upsets the pH and opens the door to bacterial vaginosis. Plain water on the external area is enough. The elaborate intimate hygiene products marketed to Indian women are, in most cases, solving a problem that did not exist before the product was invented.

What you wear all day is part of hygiene too

Tight synthetic underwear is everywhere in the market and, frankly, looks better than the alternatives. But it traps moisture and heat in a way that cotton simply does not. Women who struggle with recurring yeast infections and have tried every cream and tablet available often find that switching to loose cotton underwear, changed daily and fully dried before wearing, resolves the problem without any medication at all.
Drying after a bath is a step many women rush. The area needs to be properly dry before you dress, especially on days of prolonged sitting. This is not a minor detail.

Hygiene gaps show up as symptoms

Unusual discharge, persistent itching, an odour that is different from normal, discomfort while urinating. These are symptoms women routinely minimise. Some are self-conscious about raising them with a doctor. Others assume they will resolve on their own. A surprising number buy whichever product a pharmacist recommends over the counter and move on.

Left unaddressed, bacterial vaginosis can increase susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections. In pregnant women, it has been associated with preterm births. Pelvic inflammatory disease, which can quietly compromise fertility, often begins with an infection that was neither prevented nor treated. These are outcomes that feel abstract at twenty-five and become very concrete at thirty-five.

Change your pad or tampon every four to six hours. Wash externally with water, front to back. Wear cotton, keep it dry. Do not use scented products inside the vaginal area. Wash your hands before and after handling sanitary products. See a doctor when symptoms linger beyond a few days.

Access isn’t the main barrier anymore. Information is, but more importantly, how clearly and when it reaches women. Conversations around menstruation in India have opened up, and that shift matters. What still gets missed are the everyday details, how often to change, what to use, what to avoid. That’s where hygiene actually breaks down, and where it needs more attention.

Vijay Chaudhry Founder & CEO, Lakons