When your period comes for the first time you may feel a little scared, you are flooded with questions, how does it work? How long does it last? What should I do? And your first instinct is to use a sanitary pad, as these are the easiest to use while you are learning to know your body and your cycle.
We know that in general, it is a new world for you, but tampons are also an excellent alternative, to feel super comfortable and safe during those days, and We are here to solve all your doubts, so here we tell you everything you need to know about them.
What is a tampon?
And since we cannot start at the end, we will first talk about what is a tampon? and then explain the entire universe that this product encompasses.
Although it seems obvious and we believe that it is something that we should all know, if you are going through your first period, it is normal that you do not know what tampons are, these are a kind of tubes that fulfill the same function of sanitary napkins, absorb the menstrual flow! But unlike towels that adhere to your underwear, tampons must go inside your vagina, to avoid having accidents with your period.
How do you put on a tampon?
Now that we've given you a bit of context, you must have a very specific question running through your head: how do you put on a tampon? First, you have to know that it is completely normal to feel a little nervous.
If this happens to you, you can ask for help from your mother, from a friend who has little experience, or from Us, who with our articles on "Between Us" and the gynecologist and psychologist's offices, we will be happy to answer all your questions!
It is super important that the moment you go to put a tampon, you must be very calm and keep in mind that if it does not come out the first time, you must keep practicing until you achieve it! Tampons are as comfortable and safe as a towel, they don't feel, they don't look, and most importantly, they don't hurt !!
When you walk through new terrain it is super important that you first know them to avoid losing yourself because it also works with your body, first you must know it and know how it looks, so that you can identify how it works and thus you can learn more easily to put on the tampon, so turn the mirror back, your best friend! and start discovering the parts of your Zone V.
Now follow this step by step to the letter that will help you put it on quickly and without worries!
- Don't forget to wash your hands! Make sure you have the super clean before you start.
- Take the tampon out of the packaging.
- Check that the string that comes with the tampon is outside the tube.
- Find the position that you feel most comfortable in, sitting or standing, and you can use your friend the mirror to find the correct hole!
- Hold the tampon with one hand, and with the fingers of the other, spread the folds around the vagina.
- Slide the tampon into the vagina. To make insertion easier, tilt it a little and then push it in until it is in the right place.
- Change the tampon every 4 to 6 hours and if when you remove it you feel that it is very dry, we recommend using one with less absorption.
Tip of the day: Use tampons on the days when you have a greater amount of menstrual flow, (generally they are the second and third days but this will depend on your body), so it will be easier to push them into your vagina.
Myths about tampons!
Putting on and taking off a tampon is painful: this is not true if when you are doing the process to put on a tampon you feel pain or discomfort, there are several possibilities:
- You're putting it like it isn't and in the wrong hole.
- You haven't found the right position to put it on.
- Your flow is not heavy enough to make inserting or removing the tampon easier.
I can lose my virginity if I use a tampon: No, never, that will not happen! At the entrance of the vagina, there is a membrane called the hymen and this has a hole in the center, which is where menstruation comes out, and a tampon fits perfectly through that same hole.
It is unsafe to use a tampon because it can get lost inside me: NOOO! Erase that from your head, a tampon cannot stay inside your vagina, nor can it go beyond it. This will never happen because the end of the vagina is closed.
Urinating while wearing a tampon is bad: It is not bad, you can safely urinate with a tampon on! Remember that urine comes out through a different hole called: urethra, yes, run the cord so it does not get wet!
The tampon feels and uncomfortable when it's inside me: No, you shouldn't even feel it! if you put it on correctly. Tampons are designed to go on top of the vagina, if you can feel it, it's because it's wrong, so try again!
The tampon can come out on its own: The tampon will not come out of you unless you remove it yourself or consciously perform Valsalva maneuvers (a great effort as if you were pushing). The shape of the tampon fits perfectly to the vagina, and this will naturally keep it there.