A Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) is a reasonably harmless, though painful, condition that many people are too embarrassed to get help for. In some cases ignoring the pain and discomfort can lead to serious complications so it’s important to get it checked out.
The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, the ureter (which connect the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder and the urethra. A UTI is caused when this area becomes over populated with bacteria.
Although most common in women, because they have shorter urethras then men, it is still possible (although rare) for men and children to get a UTI.  Symptoms are often specific to either the upper or lower areas of the urinary tract. An upper UTI can often be an indicator of more serious complications such as kidney infection and should be seen by a doctor. Any child with a suspected UTI should be seen by a doctor promptly.

If you do not mind cleaning your menstrual aids there are some non-disposable products available that will not result in increased landfill or waste. They do require you to be vigilant in your cleaning and skilled in their use. Often it is costly to purchase these products, but they may be reused over several years, so may work out less expensive than needing to keep purchasing disposable pads and tampons.
Sea sponge tampons can be used as you would use a disposable tampon. They are natural sponges which have been thoroughly cleaned to remove any sea creatures and debris. They are inserted dry and removed as you would a tampon. They should also be changed every four to six hours, and replaced with another dry sponge. You need to thoroughly clean each sponge after use and then boil them in order to ensure that they will not harbour any infection. You will need at least two sponges and they will probably last at least six months. 

Menstrual aids have been used for centuries to soak up the flow of blood from menstrual periods. Since the middle of the 20th century, it has been possible to buy disposable menstrual aids rather than use rags or cloths which needed soaking and cleaning as they were re-used.
Disposable pads used to be secured to the underwear or around the body by pins and ties, but these days are secured to the crotch of the underwear by adhesive strips. Other names for these pads are sanitary towels, pads or napkins. Different brands and ranges have varying degrees of absorbency and shapes (such as ‘wings’ that wrap around the underwear). You can even buy scented or even coloured pads.

Thrush may be a regular nuisance for some women, while others never experience this infection. If you are taking antibiotics, are pregnant, going through menopause or are on the contraceptive pill you are more susceptible to this infection. But it can easily affect any woman at any stage in their life – many find it unnecessarily embarrassing.
Vaginal thrush (candida infection) is caused by an overgrowth of yeast called Candida albicans. Candida albicans lives quite harmlessly in our bodies until something upsets the body’s natural pH balance. This causes Candida albicans to multiply and symptoms of thrush to appear.
Women, who are HIV-positive, have diabetes or other immuno-compromising conditions, are more likely to experience infections. Some women also get vaginal thrush just before or just after their periods.  Antibiotics can cause vaginal thrush, while tight-fitting pants or underwear made of synthetic fabric, heavily perfumed vaginal deodorants, bubble baths or certain soaps, can also aggravate your body’s normal flora and cause thrush.

Every woman’s experience of menopause is different. And whether you suffer from hot flushes, mood swings or sleeplessness, this “change of life” does not have to mean the end of your way of life.
Menopause is the natural process of your periods becoming irregular and eventually stopping. This means your body has ceased preparing every month for pregnancy - your ovaries stop releasing eggs and your hormone production decreases.
How do you know if you are going through menopause? The symptoms for menopause are varied and vast. You could experience any or all of the following symptoms:

• ​hot flushes
• night sweats
• irregular periods
• loss of libido
• vaginal dryness
• mood swings.

Other changes during menopause may include fatigue, hair loss, sleep disorders, dizziness and weight gain. As bones can get thinner due to hormone changes, some woman are also at risk of developing osteoporosis. Talk to your community pharmacist about managing the possibility of weakening bones.