Periods & Puberty: All You Need To Know

Tampons, All You Need To Know

     Most people say to wear a liner with your tampon for when it leaks. Yes, even tampons leak. But when your flow is heavy (like mine) I suggest wearing a pad with your tampon. There's no need to break out the maxi-pads, but for heavier periods it definitely helps! Oh, before I move on I probably should address non-applicator tampons! Non-applicator tampons are exactly as they sound, tampons that have no applicator. This may gross you out a bit, but since they have no applicator you simply use your finger to insert them. All you do is angle the tampon towards your back (the same way you would with a tampon that does have an applicator) and instead of using the plunger to push the tampon in just use your index finger! This may sound odd but it isn't as bad as it sound. I would never use them now that I have a heavy flow but for my very first period I did use these tampons. I had the U by Kotex Click tampons but I didn't have the instruction booklet with me and I felt way to awkward asking my mom how to use them. At the time none of my friends had started their period so I had nobody to ask for instructions. Since I couldn't figure out that you had to pull them until they clicked I just thought that they were broken. Being myself I figured, why put something to waste, and simply plucked the tampon out of the applicator and used my finger. Classy, huh?

       My next important thing on how to be comfortable with tampons, is absorbency. I became the "Tampon Guru" of my group of friends because I was the first to get my period and start using tampons. The same Cassidy that had the tampon sticking part way out of her vagina kept complaining (this was a few days later by the way) about how it hurt when she pulled the tampon out. I asked her to show me what tampon she was using and she pulled out a Super Jumbo Plus. I asked her how heavy her period was and she said super light. The reason it hurt when she was pulling out the tampon is because when she should have been using a Lite or a Regular. Since the tampon absorbency was way too high of an absorbency for her flow (it was more like my level, and our periods are totally different!) it was dry when she pulled it out which was causing pain. For really light to flow I suggest a Lite tampon. For regular to heavy flows I suggest a Regular or Super size tampon. For heavy to really heavy flow I suggest a Super Plus or an Ultra size tampon. For please kill me now it looks like the elevator doors opening in the shining flow I suggest a Super Jumbo Plus tampon.

    I know that there are quite a few myths out there about tampons, and I'm about to bust them out.

Myth: Tampons will get lost inside your body.

Busted Because... : Your cervix is smaller than a McDonalds straw, if your tampon can fit in there then I think we have some issues.

Myth: The string will break off and it'll get stuck inside you.

Busted Because... : All tampons may not be the highest quality possible, but they all are built sturdy enough that the string won't break off of the tampon. Hello, lawsuit! The only tampon I know of that has ever had a string break off is the brand PMS.

Myth: If you swim in the ocean on your period you'll get eaten by sharks.

Busted Because... : If you wear a tampon no blood is gonna leak, and even then I have never heard of someone getting eaten by sharks because they were on their period!

Myth: You have to take your tampon out and put a new one in whenever you poop or pee.

Busted Because... : Your urethra (the hole you urinate out of) is in front of your vagina, not inside of it. You just simply hold the string out of the way while you pee. And as for pooping, tampons shouldn't really cause much of a problem.

Myth: Your period stops in water.

Busted Because... : While water does slow your period flow down, it does not eliminate it altogether. If it did I would be in the water all day long.

Myth: You shouldn't use a tampon until you are a teenager or until after you have had sexual intercourse.

Busted Because... : There is no designated age for a girl to start using a tampons, and using tampons doesn't make you lose your virginity. Either way it is all about being ready. Some girls, like me, felt ready and mature enough to use a tampon on their first period. Some girls don't use a tampon throughout their entire lifetime! It is all about when you feel ready.

   Now that I have busted some of those mainstream myths I am going to get more into detail on brands and absorbency levels. The most commonly known tampon brands are: Tampax, Playtex, U by Kotex, O.B., and P.M.S. You can find other generic brands as well. The most common absorbency levels are: Lite, Slender, Regular, Heavy, Super, Super Plus, Super Jumbo, Super Plus Extra, Super Jumbo Plus, and Ultra. I am not going to get into the flow needed for each of these tampon types, I think you can all figure that out. Another thing about tampons is TSS. TSS stands for Toxic Shock Syndrome. TSS is a rare, but fatal illness that happens when you leave a tampon in too long. Most tampons can be left in for eight hours at maximum, so if you wear them to bed like I do put the tampon in immediately before bed and take the tampon out the instant you get up. But don't freak out, TSS is very rare, I am just warning you so you know that it is better safe than sorry.

    Anyways, back to the brands thing for a quick sec. My favorite tampon for my light flow (yes, I said my light flow) is the Tampax Pearl Super tampon. For my usual flow I like Playtex Sport Super Plus, and for my heavy flow I like Tampax Pearl Ultra. I prefer plastic applicators only because they are easier to insert. Sometimes the nosiness of a tampon wrapper (or pad wrapper, but yeah, pad wrappers are always loud, another reason why I like tampons better) factors into the decision of which tampon you might buy. I could really care less how noisy my wrappers are because all ladies (unless they have issues going on in their basement region) have their periods so it's not really a biggie if they hear me unwrapping a pad or a tampon. But if you are looking for a quiet wrapper I suggest any tampon from the Tampax Radiant collection. 

     That is all you need to know about tampons! If I forgot anything please tell me through the comments or a PM!