Tampon 101
A few days ago, a Chinese friend asked me if I have any pads. “Yea sure!" I handed her a tampon, to which she whispered: “Oh, I heard virgins can’t use that.”
I realized there is a general misconception around the sanitary product. As far as I know, tampons are not as popular back home. For the past ten years, I have encountered only two Chinese women who use tampons.
After a key word searched online in Chinese, I found tons of questions:
Do they hurt?
Are they safe?
Should I leave them more than eight hours?
So today I thought I should take a break from (the usual) reflections on life and talk about girly stuff.
The misconceptions - not just in my culture.
A few years ago, my mum saw a box of o.b. in my drawer, and she immediately warned me: “It’s too intrusive and will bring in all types of germs.” (It is not true when you do a bit of research. But people are still ambivalent about them for sure.)
The misconceptions were not just in my culture. On an episode of Fleabag, phoebe waller-bridge's character was buying tampons at the supermarket. When encountering her crush, she felt embarrassed and quickly switch ‘super’(extra-large tampons) to ‘regular’. (To elaborate on this one, 'super' is for heavier days, not someone with distinctive body features.)
And here are some more thoughts:
Can virgins use tampons? If so, why does it hurt?
Short answer: yes. If it hurts (usually uncomfortable), it’s simply not in the right position - not deep enough. I heard it should go up to 8-12cm but everyone’s body is different. For the first few tries, it is easier to use brands with applicators.
More on applicators.
Yes, applicators are Godsent. It reduces the friction and makes the process more efficient. But they are made from plastics. I felt bad that my monthly curse is not just a curse to me, but to the environment. In Australia, most tampon brands do not include applicators which can be a bit confusing at first. But the Aussie way is simple too, you just need to practice a bit more:
Wash your hand thoroughly, use your longest finger (usually your middle finger?), and push it as far up as you can. It helps if you are a heavy bleeder, then your blood is simply the natural lube for the tampons.
Seriously, who should use them?
If you are queasy in sight of profuse blood (me).
If you wanna be physically active during your period.
If you want your life to be easier and forget you are on period.
Will it slip out or leak?
No to the first one, and yes to the second one. On heavier days, if it overstays its capacity, it will leak. Sounds like a horror story?
The good news is, it can be avoided if it's changed regularly. Use the 'super' ones Fleabag ended up buying. They are more absorbent. Use a pad for extra protection if needed.
Any side effects?
It’s necessary to be thoroughly educated on the side effects. There are potential issues that might be caused by incorrect tampon use, especially an illness called Toxic Shock Syndrome (or TSS).
TSS is a bacterial illness that might lead to the emergency room. I will not elaborate since there are plenty of articles on TSS. Ways to avoid TSS include alternating between tampons and pads (tampons in day time and pads at night), washing hands before and after tampon change, and changing them regularly (leave them no more than every four hours). TSS is rare (occurs in about 1 in 100,000 menstruating women), but it's never wrong to be more mindful of personal hygiene.
Note: I am no expert, therefore, I rarely write any guidance or instruction on my blog. But I feel the urge to share it today, especially there are still misunderstandings over this topic. Let's discuss it openly and honestly so we can keep the misconceptions / stigmas at bay.
