Hi ladies and gentlemen!
Gents, if you are uncomfortable with this subject: earmuffs. But if you are, ask yourself: why? We should all get accustomed to the fact that because the female body was engineered by nature to conceive, gestate, and birth other humans, we will naturally have a menstrual period roughly once a month, and this should not surprise anyone, nor should it make anyone uncomfortable. So it's a little blood. It's a lot worse for us than it is for you, trust me.
All right, now that we've gotten that out of the way - I'm here to address the young ladies! To the young women in high school, in college, or about to embark on your first hitch at sea: rule number one is never, ever, ever flush feminine hygiene/sanitary products down the head. Shipboard sanitation systems, from sailboats to tankers and everything in between, cannot handle it. Doesn't matter how tiny or "natural" the tampons are and doesn't matter if the package says "flushable" - I guarantee it will get caught in screens, valves, and pumps and wreak havoc on the sewage systems. Someone will have to clean that up. So don't flush it - ever. Wrap it up with some toilet tissue and pop it into the trash can. If you're worried someone might see it, give an extra layer of TP, but please don't worry about being seen. Guys have wives, sisters, and daughters. I promise they can (or should) handle it. We're all grown ups.
There are also some great alternatives to pads and tampons. There is the Diva Cup and several products like it. My new favorite is Lunette, which differs slightly in design from the Diva Cup but does the same job. They're made from silicone and come in 2 sizes for varying flow; a totally life-changing product. Lunette even comes in pretty colors! Diva Cup is sold at Whole Foods, REI, and some high-end drug stores like Pharmaca.
Another friend and SS contributor recently mentioned Thinx undies. If your social media feed is anything like mine, your instagram and facebook have been peppered with ads for Thinx lately. Chelsea swears by them. I've tried them and I love them. Wear them during your period and then throw them in the laundry with the rest of your clothes. They're a bit pricy but a few pairs can make your life easier.
And as a last resort, consider getting an IUD or using birth control to significantly slow your flow. My Mirena IUD has slowed my period to about 90% of what it used to be for the last 4 years. That means less painful cramps, fewer ruined underpants, and less mess on board at work.
Other words to the wise: if you have an illness that is affecting your reproductive system, talk to your captain. This includes severe pain, yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis or worse. You don't need to be that specific if you don't want to - you can say it's a sensitive female health issue, and say whether you need to go to the drug store or a doctor. Consider keeping a miconazole treatment in your kit just in case, along with some ibuprofen.
I personally think that ships should carry basic sanitary products like regular-size tampons and medium-absorbency pads along with the soap and razors they always (usually?) carry for men, but you will want to consider bringing your own. If your ship doesn't, have a chat with HR or the health department if there is one. I know there are no tugboat companies who will cater to women with sanitary products so definitely have your own in that case.
I understand if your captain is a man, which the captain will be probably more than 99 percent of the time. But it is literally in his job description to treat all his crew members with equal respect, and that includes being mature when addressing your health as a woman. You deserve that much. If the captain won't help you, call HR or someone you trust ashore. Heck, message me if you need advice and I will offer you all my moral support, along with the rest of the Sea Sisters.
Periods are not a big deal - you got this!!