If you’re like most women, summer is your favorite time of year. You want to spend as much time as possible outside soaking up the sun and enjoying long days at the beach. However, this also means that you need to be extra careful about what type of swimsuit you wear while swimming or lounging by the pool.

While it’s true that most women don’t bleed while they’re in the water, there are many who do — and these leaks can be embarrassing if no action is taken to prevent them. If you experience leaks while swimming or relaxing by the poolside, check out these different kinds of period swimwear options available:

Rash Guards and Swim Suits

These are designed to be worn under a bathing suit and protect you from both sunburn and chafing. They’re often made of nylon or spandex, which can be worn over your underwear or attached to the outside of your swimsuit with snaps.

The most common type is a leotard-style rash guard that covers your torso and has an open back. You can also find ones that have straps that tie at the neck and around the waist. As well as ones that come down over your butt, like a one-piece bathing suit. Moreover, these are widely used by many period proof swimmers around the world that bring comfort to them.

Period Underwear (Bikini)

Period underwear is the most basic type of menstrual swimsuit – they’re just like regular panties, except with an absorbent layer sewn in between two layers of fabric. The absorbent layer absorbs your menstrual blood and releases it into the water through a hole in the crotch area – if there’s no hole, it may be hard for you to tell if you’ve leaked or not!

Menstrual Bikini Briefs

Menstrual briefs are wider than traditional underwear and come with more absorbent material in them to catch more blood while still looking like normal briefs. They’re great if you’re looking for something less obvious than traditional underwear and want something that can hold more than one day’s worth of fluid!

Period Pads

These are inserted into the vagina just like tampons, and they work by absorbing blood flow. They come in different sizes and absorbencies, which means that some people may need more than one pad for an entire period. This is usually not an issue because pads can be worn together or doubled up depending on how heavy your flow is. Some people prefer these because they have no strings or bells and whistles like cups do. But some people find them less comfortable since they don’t stretch with the body as cups do.

Reusable Silicone Menstrual Cups

Menstrual cups are bell-shaped cups made of flexible silicone rubber. The cup catches blood flow instead of absorbing it as tampons do, so they don’t have to be removed as often as tampons do (and don’t dry out your vaginal wall). They come in different sizes for different flow days, so try a few before deciding on one size for every day of your cycle.

Tampon Flotation Pouches

If you prefer not to use menstrual underwear during your time of the month, tampon flotation pouches are another great option for keeping blood contained while you’re swimming. These pouches attach directly to tampons so they won’t get lost in the water or slip out at an inconvenient moment. You can wear them inside regular bathing suits or over top for added protection against leaks when you swim.

Wetsuits

Wetsuits are the most common choice for women who want to swim during their period. Wetsuits are essentially made of neoprene and have a tight fit, which keeps water out and warmth in. This makes them ideal for swimming during periods. Wetsuits come in many different styles, so you can find one that fits your needs exactly.

Take Aways

For obvious reasons, a period is something no one wants to have while in the water. There is no way to control it, because, unlike other bodily functions and sensations that we can somehow suppress until we get out of the water, it’s different with a period. You feel that flow and there’s something you can do about it. The aforementioned above are things to consider when you decide to go for a swim.