The Little Black Book for Girlz: A Book on Healthy Sexuality

Tampons: A How-To

Suvi Siu

So, ever heard of tampons? Not too sure you want to try them? You’re scared of the damn things? You think the idea of putting something up your vagina is gross? Well, guess what? Let me tell you something: they’re not all that bad!

I know they may sound scary, weird, or disgusting, but once you’ve tried using them you may never want to go back to pads. Once you put a tampon in properly you can’t even feel it ! You feel like going out more, you can run, you can go swimming (which you can’t do while using a pad), you can play sports, heck, you can even dance and exercise! Of course, you can still do activities while wearing a pad, but, in my opinion, a tampon is much more comfortable and much more protective. Just because you are on your period doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have fun. Don’t let it hold you down. Yes, I know, sure you can sit home all day in PJs watching TV and eating junk food, and maybe for some people that’s what they feel like doing when they are on their period, but wouldn’t you rather get out of the house?

Putting in a tampon is not that hard. If it is your first time you may be scared. My first time putting in a tampon I was so scared and nervous, but once I had it in I was so happy. There was no more going to the bathroom every 20 minutes, no more messiness, no more walking weirdly, and best of all, no more feeling the blood coming out.

When you are putting a tampon in, it is best to stay calm and relaxed and try not to be nervous. Here, I’ll show you how to put in a tampon properly: THESE ARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAMPONS WITH APPLICATORS.

Unwrap the tampon. Put one foot up with your knee bent.

Feel for your vaginal hole. This is the opening between your legs closer to the front of your body rather than the hole in your bum.

Push the tampon until your fingers holding the middle of the tampon touch the outside of your body. Try to keep it on an upward

angle towards the small of your back. Everyone’s vagina and cervix are on a different angle.

With your index finger, push the smaller part of the applicator up into the larger part (see picture). This will slide the tampon out of the applicator.

Remove applicator, leaving the tampon inside. Leave the string hanging out. The tampon cannot get lost inside. If the string is

not there (which almost never happens!), you may have to feel inside your vagina and fish it out.

If it feels uncomfortable, or like it is falling out, then it is not far enough up. In this case, pull the tampon out and try again with a new tampon.

When you are ready to pull it out, be aware that, if it is at the end of your period, the tampon might be dry and hard to get out. Don’t panic: relax and pull gently.

If you’ve tried tampons and pads and you don’t like them, but you feel like you’re stuck with them, why not consider some alternatives?

There is something called a menstrual cup. A menstrual cup is sort of like a tampon but not really. It’s shaped like a little cup. It sits inside your vagina under your cervix like a bowl and catches all of your period blood. Once the cup is full you simply take it out (while standing over the toilet) and dump it in the toilet, rinse it off and reuse it

again. The menstrual cup is great for the environment because you don’t have to constantly throw out tampons, adding to all the garbage our world already has. If you are a person who is really concerned about the environment, then the menstrual cup is for you! There are two major brands of menstrual cup: the Keeper is made of rubber latex and the DivaCup

is made of silicone. They can be found at health food stores. Check out the resources section for where to find more info.

There are also reusable pads. A reusable pad, is just a pad made out of terry cloth or flannel fabric. Once you’ve used the pad you simply wash it, let it dry, and use it again. It’s another good product for the environment.

If you check out these alternatives and find the one that works best for you, I promise you, you’ll discover that having your period isn’t such a bad thing after all. You may think it’s a drag but really it’s not that bad. Hey, if you never had your period you wouldn’t be able to have babies when you’re older!