Maybe back in the olden days they believed these myths, but now we know that they are just that- MYTHS! Completely false! Here's the truth about tampons to help set your mind at ease and help you be informed. Feel free to share it with your friends to help them out, too!
Tampons protect for 8 hours. According to the outside of most tampon boxes and the leaflet inside, tampons protect for "up to" 8 hours. The actual protection will only last as long as the absorption material can collect blood. During heavy flow days, tampons may last only one or two hours. During light days, teens may find it difficult to remove and change tampons every 8 hours because flow is light and a dry tampon just doesn't want to come out as easily as a saturated tampon.
You cannot sleep in tampons. This is a huge myth. Tampons are safe during sleeping and waking hours if used properly. Flow tends to be lighter at night, for some teens (including me!), so the tampon should last through 8 hours sleep, but what happens if the teen is sleeping longer than 8 hours? Wearing a feminine napkin to bed instead of a tampon is safer 100 percent of the time. Overnight pads absorb much more than panty liners and regular pads, so invest in a thick, absorption pad if you plan on sleeping longer than 8 hours. That way you won't have to worry about how long you sleep. You won't feel a pad when you're sleeping anyway, so why risk it?
The tampon string never pulls off. The withdrawal string breaking is an extremely rare occurrence, but it CAN happen... If it does break, DON'T PANIC! It is usually a simple matter to reach the tampon with your fingers. Wash your hands and use the same position you used to comfortably insert the tampon to remove it. If this can’t be done, you should see your doctor the same day.
Virgins cannot wear tampons. Having sex has nothing to do with wearing tampons. Some mothers want to protect their daughters from anything related to insertion into the vagina, but this is an old wives' tale. Virgins can insert tampons into the vagina as can teens that have lost their virginity. The tampon may tear the hymen, but a torn hymen can also occur from sports, gymnastics, horseback riding and other activity.
Teens can only use "regular" tampons. Tampons are graded based on absorbance. Some girls start out with "teen" tampons and quickly progress to regular and then super on heavy days. Teens should choose tampons based on period flow. At the end of 8 hours, if the tampon string is just tinted with blood, the absorbance is just right. If the tampon does not last 8 hours, move up to a more absorbent size or change more often.
Tampons can get lost inside you if you push them in too far. No. The opening at the end of your vagina is only the size of a pencil point-much too small for a tampon to fit through. The tampon is held in place by the walls of your vagina until you pull on the string to remove it.
Tampons can fall out. When inserted properly, the muscles around the entrance to the vagina will hold the tampon in place so it cannot fall out.
If you have any questions or comments about this topic, you can leave a comment below (feel free to do so anonymously) or email us at GirlTalkTime@yahoo.com.
Love,
Alli
Okay my mom says wearing tampons on your heaviest days is bad because the blood will stay up there and cause bad cramps sounds silly to me since my doctor said its alright
ReplyDeleteNo, that's not true. If you have right size of tampon and used it properly than blood won't stay there.These all are myths, don't follow them. Some people says that tampons can take your virginity but these all are pointless discussion.Use right size of tampon and stay free during your periods.
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ponerse un tampon
when ever i wear a tampon every so often i smell something weird and i think its coming from my vagina and i was wondering if other people especially guys can smell it
ReplyDeleteIt's just old blood/unused eggs. Or if you use scented tampons they smell funny after awhile. But its probably just paranoia. Wear perfume if it bothers you.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering, since my period flow is at it's lightest during the night, would I get away with sleeping with one in for more than 8 hrs?
ReplyDeleteSleeping with a tampon for more than 8 hours can be done but you should follow what the box says and change a tampon every 4-8 hours. I once overslept with a tampon for 9 and a half hours but I got lucky, its not worth risking TSS(toxic shock syndrome) even if your blood flow is lighter the toxins in the tampon are still being produced.
DeleteI feel weird in the begining, worries a lot too, but now that I am used to it, it's not even a big deal :)
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