Another choice for feminine protection during your menstrual period

 


Another choice for feminine protection during your menstrual period is to use tampons. A tampon is also made of cotton, but it's compressed into a tiny tubular shape. Unlike a pad, which catches menstrual blood after it leaves the body, tampons absorb blood from inside the vagina. Like pads, tampons come in different sizes for heavier and lighter periods, and they can also come in deodorizing scents. Tampons are also available with or without applicators - they can either be inserted into the vagina using a special cardboard or plastic tube-like applicator or with just your fingers.
Tampons are also easy to use, but you do need to learn how to put them in. Follow the directions that come with the tampons carefully, and be sure to relax. Some girls find that using tampons with applicators is much easier because the applicator tube gives them something to hold onto and helps them guide it properly into the vagina.
Many girls who are using tampons for the first time worry about things like whether the tampon will get lost inside them or whether a virgin can use a tampon. Luckily, tampons can't ever get lost inside you - the opening of the cervix (located at the top of the vagina) is just too tiny for a tampon to get through. Most tampons have a string attached to one end that stays outside a girl's body and can be used to remove the tampon at any time. Virgins can certainly use tampons with no problem - many girls do - and a girl who uses a tampon won't lose her virginity that way.
A tampon needs to be changed every 4 to 6 hours or when it's saturated with blood. Because you can't see it as you would with a pad, you'll need to remember when it's time to change, or spotting and leakage will occur on your underwear. Pull gently on the string that is attached to the end of the tampon, pull it out, wrap it in toilet paper, and throw it in the trash. Don't flush it in the toilet unless it says on the box that it's flushable.
If it's time to change your tampon and you can't find the string, don't worry! A tampon can't get lost inside you, remember? You'll need to reach in with your fingers to find it. It may take a minute to do because the string might be a bit hard to grab.
A final word about tampons: It's very important that you change them every few hours and that you wear the absorbency type that is right for you. Never put a tampon in and leave it in all day or all night, thinking that you won't need to change it because your period is so light. If you do, you put yourself at risk for a rare, but very dangerous disease called toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
TSS results from a bacterial infection that may occur when using certain super absorbent tampons, especially if they are left in longer than is recommended. Bacteria (certain strains of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus) can grow within the tampon, enter the body from inside your vagina, then invade the bloodstream, releasing toxins that can cause a very severe, and occasionally life-threatening, illness.
Symptoms of TSS include high fever, vomiting or diarrhea, severe muscle aches, a feeling of extreme weakness or dizziness, and a rash that looks like a sunburn. If you ever have these symptoms while wearing a tampon, remove it and tell an adult immediately. Have someone take you to the nearest emergency department as soon as possible. Your body can go into shock with TSS if you wait too long to seek medical treatment.
Remember, though, that TSS is very rare, and most women never become ill from using tampons, especially if they follow the guidelines for changing them regularly.
When deciding whether to use pads or tampons, it's really up to you. Some girls like tampons because they can go swimming with no problem, and they are easy to store in a purse or pocket. Another advantage to tampons is that they can't be felt because they're inside the body (unlike a pad, which may feel bulky to some girls). Other girls like pads because they are easy to use, and you don't need to remind yourself to change them. Many girls switch back and forth: Sometimes they use tampons and sometimes they use pads, depending on the situation, where they're going to be, and their menstrual flow. Some use pads at night and tampons during the day. And some girls with heavy periods use tampons together with pads or pantiliners for added protection against leakage.