SO YOU THINK YOU CAN'T
It’s that time of the month, do you have anything- she said to me. I have tampons, I replied.
Oh no, I don’t use those.
This was the 2nd time I was having this conversation with a girlfriend and I was confused, to say the least. Why would anyone not use tampons? For me, they had been a godsend, a savior from awkward situations, discrete and easy to move around with. I have usedTampax tampons for a while, and they had made it possible for me to sleep for up to 8 hours in any position I wanted- no more laying still in an uncomfortable position all night for fear of leaks. So I was a little more than confused. Who were these strange people who didn’t use tampons?
Well, these strange women are actually part of a much larger group of women who for a variety of reasons have decided to not use tampons- many have never even tried them. A 2004 study showed a little over 30% of women did not use tampons with an even higher incidence among black women. So instead of reading an analysis of pure strangers or looking through the internet for additional insight, I just asked my girlfriends. Here’s generally what I heard:
It’s going to give you cancer
Someone told me they forgot one in there and got really sick
Uncomfortable, don’t want to deal with inserting that
I couldn’t debunk the above without a little education. So I was happy that I could partner with Tampax (the industry leader in this space) to address these concerns:
There has been no link to cancer from tampon use. Tampon use is widely accepted by doctors for menstrual protection and there is absolutely no scientific evidence that tampons lead to the development of endometriosis or cancer.
Toxic Shock Syndrome, is a very rare but serious disease that anyone can get – men and women. 1 in every 100,000 women who menstruate are diagnosed. Women can reduce their risk of tampon-related TSS by alternating between tampons and pads during your period.
Tampons don’t hurt – but if you do feel slight pain you’re probably just nervous, which tightens up your muscles. Take a deep breath and try to relax. Use Tampax Pocket Pearl – it has a plastic applicator and FormFit technology that forms to your body – so it is comfortable and protective. And if it does hurt, it’s probably not in far enough. Use your finger to gently push it in further or remove it and try again.
I do understand the concept of having a preference for one thing over another, but I was surprised that my friends were not coming from a place of preference, but from a place of fear and misinformation. Ultimately, we should all have the power to choose what makes the most sense for us. We should have freedom of choice as long as it gives us Power over our periods.
What’s your position on tampons?