Tampons and pads each have their own merits, although it is a matter of personal preference, but here is the showdown anyway.

Absorbency: Tampons and pads both come in various sizes and abcorbency,so both are equal in that sense. You can tell that the tampon needs changing if the string starts turning red, and you can also tell when your pad needs changing, so again, they are both equal in that sense.

Versatility: Tampons are way more convenient when doing sports and, unlike pads, you can also swim wearing tampons. Pads, however, are more convenient at night as you sleep, especially if you sleep over eight hours every day.

Storage: Tampons are easier to fit into a small bag whereas pads tend to be bigger in size.

Allergies: Pads can cause rashes and allergies while tampons do not.

Health: Tampons are mostly very safe to use, however, you may risk Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) if you forget to remove it whereas pads do  not stand that risk. While some feel uncomfortable with the idea of their skin being constantly in touch with blood throughout the menstrual cycle, others have concerns over blood being inside their vagina. However, both are okay if the pads or tampons are changed regularly, with tampons’ change being more important than pads to minimize risk of TSS.

Period length: Tampons have been proven to cut menstrual cycle days by one as they absorb blood in the vagina as opposed to pads where blood has to make its way down from the uterus and all the way throughout the vagina.

Comfort: Some women have reported feeling uncomfortable using tampons, although this is might be due to picking the wrong size or not fully inserting the tampon in the vagina, while others have reported feeling uncomfortable using pads due to allergies or size.

Application: This is where pads win, tampons application can be challenging for first-time users and it might not be comfortable if it wasn’t properly inserted. Following instructions, however, one can easily apply tampons.

Price: This is also another area where tampons lose to pads. Whereas Tampax’s 8-tampons box is sold for LE18 and its 20-tampons box is sold for LE40, Always’s same size pad packs are sold for LE3.50 and LE10, respectively. Because Tampax is imported and not produced here, its price is similar to imported pads brands like Ria, but very different than local brands like Always. So if you’re used to buying local pads brands, switching to tampons will be significantly more expensive, however, if you’re using important pads brands, tampons will be of the same budget.