Pads can be worn whenever, either on or off your period. They can be used as back-up support for those times when you're uncertain about the day you're period is going to start. I, and a lot of other girls, like being one step ahead of our period -- saves us from having to replace a pair of panties. When equipped with a "just in case" pad, you can feel a lot more comfortable about wearing underwear you really like. You won't have to resort to some second-tier pair of granny panties because you're scared to stain any other decent pair. If you're using them for any sort of bladder issues, menstrual pads will not do the trick quite as well as pads made specifically for these issues.
