Why would an elderly woman need to use sanitary napkins? . . . or any post-menopausal woman, for that matter?
They are (mildly) incontinent, but embarrased to buy a product specifically meant for it.
That’s what my grandmother always did.
ETA: I say “mildly” because sanitary pads don’t hold all that much liquid.
Incontinence? Sanitary napkins are less expensive than incontinence pads or garments (unfortunately, they’re not as effective for handling any significant leakage, as I and the Wonder Beagle have learned).
A post-menopausal woman might have vaginal bleeding or discharge due to infection or other vaginal/uterine disease.
Why do you ask?
Cancer can also cause a discharge. It’s not a good idea to just ‘handle it’ and avoid going to the doctor.
Mild incontinence is probably the answer, though.
As per another thread, I had an abdominal hysterectomy last February. For protracted reasons, part of the incision has failed to heal. I’m having surgery next week to correct it. In the meantime, I keep a maxi-pad tucked down the front of my panties (absorbent side next to my skin) to absorb, ummmmmm, oozing.
I’m allergic to most forms of adhesive, so if I keep some kind of bandage on, it itches like a mofo, and breaks me out.
Another reason a post-menopausal woman might buy such things is for her daughters. I have two daughters living at home. One is post-pubescent, and therefore needs such things regularly; one is pre-pubescent, and will presumably need such things before too much longer. Since I do a majority of the shopping for the family, I’m the one who buys this stuff, even though I’m not the ‘target market’.
Crafts.
good one! and a very scary reason.
Ayyiyiyi…
My mother lived with me for the last 10 years of her life, ages 82-92. During that time there was always a box of sanitary napkins in the bathroom, and she’d occasionally buy a new box when I took her shopping.
She was obviously post-menopausal, and had had a hysterectomy in her 40s. And she didn’t have any health problems in that part of her body.
But if it was for slight incontinence . . . um, wouldn’t that have been in the wrong hole? Or would the pee have found its way there?
Obviously this is not a subject I would have asked my mother about . . . but I’ve been curious about it.
Wrong hole? Yes. But it would have been, as is the popular idiom, ‘close enough for government work’. Possibly less embarrassing than buying incontinence supplies, too.
Sanitary napkins basically put an absorbent layer in the entire – uh – crotchal area. That’s why they’re often referred to as “panty liners.”
Stress incontinence is very common with aging. You leak just a drop or two of urine when you cough or sneeze, for example. Let’s all do our Kegels!
Sometimes you get a situation where there is only a chance of a leak as you get to the bathroom. Sort of a can’t quite hold back thing. If you’re fast enough, you’re home and dry. If you’re not, you have to change. Changing a pad would be easier, but you’d maybe only have to do it one time out of 3 or 4.
My own little experience stopped when I cut out the caffeine. I hope that takes care of things in perpetuity, but who knows.
http: //medicalimages.allrefer.com/large/female-reproductive-anatomy-1.jpg
Here’s a drawing of the female anatomy. You can see that the holes are right next to each other. I guess it’s probably nsfw.
PapSett, that’s um…I really don’t know what to say.
As long as we’re not talking about tampons, and it doesn’t look like we are, the product will cover the proper location. Even a minipad would.
What’s this a picture of?
Ok, now this is getting complicated, and way beyond my level of understanding . . . because now I remember that she used tampons as well. And those are the ones I really should be asking about. If she had some urinary leakage, I can understand the sanitary napkins, but why would she be using tampons?
No idea about tampons, but another thing she could’ve used the pads for (maybe?) would be bleeding hemorrhoids. Not this this is a great solution to the problem, mind you.
Some women on HRT have sort-of periods.
Uterine bleeding can occur from other causes besides menstruation, and a tampon would still catch it.
Possibly she was medicating the tampons to try and relief the itching that can occur with aging.
You mentioned that she’d had a hysterectomy in her 40’s, so that pretty much rules out bleeding or discharge from the uterus. However, she might have used tampons to deal with other issues:
- Discharge due to vaginal infection or disease
- Urine leakage from the vagina due to urovaginal fistual (abnormal connection between the bladder and the vagina)
- Leakage of feces from the vagina due to rectovaginal fistula (abnormal connection between the rectum and the vagina)
- Vaginal prolapse (when the rectum, bladder, or pelvic organs press into the area normally occupied by the vagina). This can be uncomfortable. A tampon would fill the vagina and might provide some relief.
Since your mother had a hysterectomy, this last one is the most likely explanation. From here