Should I use tampons?

Question

My period just started (not for the first time, though), and my first swim practice is on Friday. My mom doesn't want me to use tampons, though! She said she tried it once and it hurt. I asked her what I should do then, and she just told me that the flow will be low, and I should just swim. I thought, "Ew, I don't wanna do that." Should I beg her to let me use tampons? It might work.
By the way, I'm 12.

Answer 1

You need to explain to your mother that different tampons fit some women better than others. The lower absorbencies are smaller and easier for new users. A common reason women find them uncomfortable is that they do not insert them correctly and deeply enough. Use the pictures in the box for the proper technique and you may even want to try a water soluble lubricant on the applicator.

One of my daughter was a competitive diver and swimmer and she never used pads at all. She's used tampons since her very first period. It's a myth that flow stops while you are in the water and can cause very embarrassing accidents. Also, since you are so young, your flow is very unpredictable and could be light or heavy until your system really settles in which can take a year or so for some young women.

Another good option for watersports are the menstrual cup types of period products. These are a little more challenging to learn to use but since they are made of a flexible material they don't absorb water from the outside and may be more comfortable. There are reusable types like the Keeper cup or the Diva cup (you can order these online) that you simply rinse and reuse and a disposable type called Instead, avaialable in stores.

My best suggestion is to get your swim coach to discuss this with your mother rather than having to beg and throw a fit. Having an advocate and a really good reason should help with your mom.

Tampons are safe as long as you use good hygiene and change them frequently enough. Don't believe the scare stories and they have nothing to do with being a virgin or not. Way back in the day my own mother was horrified at the idea of tampons, but when I unexpectedly got my period on a debate trip out of town, no one on my team had pads and I had to learn to use tampons. I never went back, because they are so much more comfortable and for me more secure from leaks and stains.

The more cool and adult you can be about this, the more likely your mother is to agree.

Answer 2

Times have changed since your mom used tampons. There are so many sleek designs now that make insertion so easy and practically pain free. I remember the first time I used one, I put it in all wrong, and I definitely knew I did it wrong because it hurt so bad. So I took it out, and tried it a second time. And yet again, it hurt. Rather than trying it a third time the wrong way, I went online for help. I ended up at the Tampax site, and it shows you step by step how to use one. I tried it only once after reading how to do it, and it worked! So I would give that site a look.

Also, DON'T use cardboard tampons... ever! They're so much harder to insert than the nice plastic ones that are available. Tampax Pearl are my personal favorite ones. They practically glide right in, and if you use the right size, you won't even feel them.

Finally, seeing as it's your first time with them, you have to know that you can't wear them too long. It's not recommended at all. Wear one no longer than 8 hours, and make sure if your flow is light, you wear a light. Don't wear a super or a similar size because you want to be sure you won't leak. It could potentially be dangerous. So always wear the right size according to your flow.

Hope you can convince your mom that tampons aren't bad things at all. Good luck with the swimming! :)

Answer 3

Good choice of sport, I'm also a swimmer :)
Im 19 and I've been swimming since I was your age. I love tampons with all of my heart lol...I started using them because of swimming and after a year or two, I switched over to them completely (havent worn a pad in years).

The only reason putting a tampon in will hurt is if you're putting it in wrong. So stay relaxed, and if it causes ANY discomfort, try a different angle. Also, try Playtex slimfits...the'ye very slim, and made of plastic with a round applicator. PERFECT for beginners.

Good luck!

oh, and ps...I know from first hand experience, if you swim on your period without a tampon, it is possible to leak in the water...you could use this knowledge to help convince your mom ;)


AND all of these people saying using tampons for the first time is supposed to be painful, they're wrong. Like I said, if you're doing it right, it will NOT hurt at all. Don't let these silly people scare you

Answer 4

Tampons CAN BE extremely painful the first couple of times. Especially, if you have a light flow. When the tampons don't get saturated, they can be extremely painful to remove afterwards, also. Now, swimming without them seems like a setup to be embarrassed later. If I were you, I'd talk to her again about the tampons, probably. Just don't push it too hard; she might decide you never should. If you do try them, I would try some with a plastic applicator that are really small and short. If you can't, opt out of swim practice for the first week. Just an encouragement, some girls don't think they ever hurt!

Answer 5

Hiya, Yes i think you should persuade her to let you use them, or failing that go and buy some for yourself! You don't want to go into the swimming pool without anything, you wouldn't be able to concentrate on your swimming and would be self conscious all of the time.Tampons shouldn't hurt, your mum probably just didn't use them right. When buying tampons, for the first time you will see there are different sizes you can buy ( depending on how heavy/light you are ). Which ever one you think you are, go for the size below.. will just make it easier for you. It may take a few attempts to get it right but read the instructions and keep trying and you'll get there and when you have you wont even feel its there!

Answer 6

Tampons are inserted all the way into the vagina. Early in life, girls have a membrane, the hymen, that blocks off the vagina except for a small hole, through which menstrual flow exits. Inserting a tampon past an intact hymen is usually difficult or impossible, and often painful. Adult women, who have had experience of sexual intercourse with men, usually rupture their hymen the first or second time they have intercourse. This is colloquially called "popping the cherry", is often a bit painful, is often accompanied by some bleeding, but is followed within a week by healing, leaving the vagina wide open thereafter. Tampons are therefore used mostly by adult women who have already been sexually active. Tampons are generally considered inappropriate for 12 year old girls.

There are "pads" that are appropriate for girls your age, but I don't know how well they will work during swimming. Usually girls your age skip swimming during their period, which usually involves three days per month. You could pop your own cherry and use tampons, but will then be believed to not be a sexual virgin. In ancient times, a girl your age without an intact hymen would be unable to marry. Even today, not having a cherry at your age could be a big social problem.

If your swimming coach is a woman, she will understand all of this, better than you, maybe better than your mother, Ask to see the coach privately and talk this over with her.

Answer 7

When used correctly tampons don't hurt and you actually don't feel them at all. Since you're so young and haven't used them before I'd recommend Playtex Slimfits. They're made for teens. They're thinner than regular tampons so they're easier to figure out and get used to. Then when you're more comfortable and get the hang of it, try regular ones. Don't be afraid to put it in to far. Its uncomfortable if its not in far enough and it cannot get lost or go in too far so don't worry about that. I bet once you get used to them you won't go back to pads :) Good luck!
I would talk to your mom about your concerns about swimming without a tampon and perhaps mention that they make some specifically for teens.

Answer 8

First, NEVER swim during your period without a tampon! You might get infection coming inside you because during your period your cervix is open. This might be very serious. Now, you have two choices - to skip your swimming lesson or to use a tampon. It maybe very painful at first, but then you might find it convenient. However, tampons are not the healthiest way to deal with the period. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that. I try not to use tampons, though I am 26. Of course I use them in the situations like yours, but never at home or at night.

Answer 9

You should attend the swim practice but do not swim.
You are sharing water and it is not hygenic to everyone using tampons. You could leak. Tampons do hurt the first time. Call your doctor or clinic and ask the reccomended age for girls using tampons.

Answer 10

Use a tampon. If you do swim without protection, you could leave an embarassing trail in the water, or down your legs once you're out of the water. That would be worse than the initial discomfort of a tampon.