The-Clitoris.com: A Guide to Using Tampons

Introduction

The following information will primarily be of benefit to adolescent girls and their parents, and curious boys and men. While not a subject directly related to female sexuality, tampons and their use must be addressed in detail somewhere, and most references are lacking in useful information. The information presented is intended for girls and women who are planning on using tampons, and those who are experiencing difficulty inserting their first tampon. Additional information can be found in the articles about locating your vagina and a woman's first experience with vaginal intercourse.

The information presented by tampon manufacturers is often too vague to be of help to young women wanting to know how to insert a tampon. If they should experience difficulty they likely have nowhere to turn for guidance. Even if their mother and friends have experience using tampons there is often a significant barrier to communication, namely embarrassment, which prevents the sharing of knowledge and technique. Even if a young woman is successful at inserting a tampon she may have unanswered questions about her body, menstruation, and tampons, or she may have difficulty removing a tampon after a successful insertion.

Note: Links to websites that provide information about alternative menstrual products are provided in the links section of this website, they can be accessed by clicking here.

A Potential Space

The vagina is a potential space, meaning the walls of the vagina are normally in close contact with one another unless something is inserted between them. This is contrary to what most anatomy illustrations appear to show. The opening into the vagina is called an "orifice," meaning it is normally closed but capable of undergoing considerable dilation. It is important for women to know their vagina isn't a hole or cavity inside their body. When something enters their vagina, their vagina and body must make room for it, no matter how large or small it may be. The following illustration shows the normal and relaxed state of the internal vagina. Please see the article about the anatomy of the vagina for additional information.

From the book "Eve's Secrets" Page 110.
Author: Josephine Lowndes Sevely.
Copyright 1987 Josephine Lowndes Sevely.
ISBN 0-394-55438-8

The Pelvic Muscles

The following three illustrations show the muscles that surround the vaginal orifice. The primary muscle is the pubococcygeus muscle, and is colored red and labeled "Pelvic diaphragm" in these two illustrations. The pelvic diaphragm is actually made up of a total of four muscles, three of them are revealed in the second illustration. The pubococcygeus muscle is the muscle women AND men contract when they stop the flow of urine from their body and perform Kegel exercises. The muscles of the pelvic diaphragm hold the internal organs in place, and this is why keeping these muscles strong and flexible is so important. In addition to these muscles, there is another sets of muscles that lie on either side of the vaginal opening that are called the bulbospongiosus. The bulbospongiosus muscles lay on top of the bulbs of the clitoris. All of these muscles can act as a barrier to vaginal penetration, and/or play a role in orgasm.

From the book A New View of a Woman's Body
Copyright 1981, The Federation of Feminist Women's Health Centers
Illustrated By: Suzann Gage, L Ac, RNC, NP
ISBN 0-9629945-0-2 Pbk.

From the book A New View of a Woman's Body
Copyright 1981, The Federation of Feminist Women's Health Centers
Illustrated By: Suzann Gage, L Ac, RNC, NP
ISBN 0-9629945-0-2 Pbk.

In the following illustration we can see how relatively thin the muscles of pelvic diaphragm are. The pelvic diaphragm separates the internal pelvic organs from the external genitals, i.e. the vulva. The pelvic diaphragm is located about one inch (2.5 cm) inside the body, measuring in from the outer surface of the outer lips of the vulva. When the pelvic diaphragm contracts or is in spasm, it effectively blocks entrance into the vagina. The urogenital diaphragm, colored blue, is a thick layer of fibrous connective tissue, not muscle.

The Muscles of the Vagina

The walls of the vagina are composed of two layers of smooth muscle. Smooth muscles are those that we cannot voluntarily control, like the muscles of our heart and other internal organs. This means you cannot directly control the muscles of the vaginal passage. The muscle fibers of one layer of the vaginal wall are aligned so as to run parallel to the path of the vagina, that is, from the uterus to the vulva. The muscle fibers of the second layer are aligned to encircle the vagina; picture a donut. Together these two layers create a strong and flexible passage between the uterus and vulva. These muscle fibers automatically contract so as to grasp whatever is inserted into the vagina, no matter whether it is a finger, tampon, or penis.

A Potential Barrier

The vaginal and pelvic muscles play an important role in the insertion of a finger or tampon into the vagina. Muscles that go unused for any length of time lose their strength and elasticity. If you have ever broken a bone and worn a cast, the muscles under the cast likely shrank in size and became stiff and painful to use after the cast was removed. Most often, a young woman's vaginal and pelvic muscles have gone unused prior to puberty, and her first menstrual period. This means it is possible for them to be weak and resistant to stretching.

The majority of young women will find their vaginal and pelvic muscles do not prevent them from inserting their finger or a tampon into their vagina, or at most they provide only slight resistance to penetration; they are snug rather than being tight. In a small number of young women these muscles are ridged and resistant to the insertion of a finger and tampon. When a young woman is apprehensive about inserting a finger or tampon into her vagina her pelvic muscles may contract making this insertion impossible. Her body is simply trying to protect itself from something her mind believes is potentially harmful. The pelvic muscles may also contract as a protection mechanism when a girl or woman tries to insert a finger or tampon and she experiences discomfort or pain. This pain could be caused by the pelvic muscles being inelastic, or the vagina being insufficiently lubricated, especially if her menstrual flow is light.

Very infrequently, the pelvic muscles resist the insertion of a a finger or tampon by contracting prior to anything coming in contact with a woman's vulva and vagina. When we are scared or nervous our muscles contract, as a natural defense mechanism, to protect our vital internal organs from injury. When this occurs, it is a possible indication of vaginismus. This is most often not the case, and the information presented below should be considered and tried prior to coming to that conclusion.

The Hymen

An infrequent barrier to tampon insertion is the hymen. The hymen is a thin layer of tissue that partially conceals the vaginal orifice of some girls and women. Even if a girl or woman is a virgin she may not have a hymen, or only remnants of it remain by the time she experiences puberty. The reason being, prior to puberty the tissues of the vulva are thinner and less elastic than they are following puberty, meaning the hymen may easily tear, diminish, or disappear during childhood. The hymen is located outside the vagina, not inside as is often believed, and is potentially exposed to stretching and tearing during nonsexual daily activities during infancy and childhood.

The opening or openings in the hymen are most often large enough to permit the insertion of at least a single lubricated finger or tampon applicator without difficulty. If the opening(s) are initially smaller than a finger or tampon applicator the hymen is often flexible or delicate enough that it stretches or tears without the girl or woman being aware that it has occurred. There may be some mild discomfort and bleeding, but the intense pain infrequently reported by inexperienced tampon users probably isn't caused by their hymen, but rather, by their inelastic vaginal muscles and friction.

The use of tampons may slowly and gently stretch the opening of the hymen, but this doesn't mean a girl or woman is no longer a virgin. A doctor or sexual partner will not be able to tell by looking at your vulva that you have used tampons, unless of course you have a tampon inserted at the time.

Explore Your Body

The next potential barrier to tampon insertion is a young woman's unfamiliarity with her vulva and vagina. Prior to inserting a tampon many girls and women have never inserted anything into their vagina. It is kind of a mystical place they have heard about in a fairy tale. Society has made it off limits to them. Even so, a survey on this website indicates girls quite frequently begin to explore their vagina with their fingers during puberty. If you are able to insert a finger into your vagina then you are much more familiar with it, and the idea and act of inserting a tampon will be more appealing and comfortable. If you have never explored your vagina inserting a tampon can be a pretty intimidating experience, equivalent to driving a car having never ridden in one.

To make tampon insertion easier it is recommended that young women be familiar with their vulva and vagina beforehand. She does this by exploring her body. First by locating the vaginal orifice with a hand mirror and flashlight. She needs to know where her vaginal orifice is located, as a tampon may not automatically find its way into her vagina. She should then explore her vagina by inserting a lubricated finger, and discover where her vagina is located within her body, and at what angle it enters and is positioned within her body. The vagina doesn't extend straight back from the vulva, but angles up toward the small of the back. If a young woman is unable to insert a single lubricated finger into her vagina she is less likely to be able to insert a tampon. Her finger is after all much more flexible, and tells her when it is pressing against something hard and unyielding. Successful insertion of a finger may require a little patience and practice, in a quiet and safe environment. At night in bed, or in the shower, may provide suitable opportunity for this exploration, using water or saliva as a lubricant.

Learning how to perform Kegel exercises will be beneficial to the first time tampon user, and virgins, as they enable her to learn to know when her voluntary pelvic muscles are contracted and relaxed, and how to relax them if they aren't. If you know your pelvic muscles are contracted you will know a finger or tampon cannot enter your vagina easily, if at all. If you contract your pelvic muscles and then relax them, you will find your finger or the tampon will enter your vagina easier. For this reason parents should teach their daughter about Kegel exercises when first discussing menstruation and tampon use.

The Need For Lubrication

Another requirement of successful tampon insertion is the presence of additional lubrication. Tampon applicators aren't lubricated, and this may result in friction between the vagina and the applicator, or the tampon and vagina if there is no applicator. Tampons without applicators (OB) or with blunt tipped applicators (Tampax traditional cardboard applicators) are more likely to cause friction, and be resistant to insertion. This friction will be experienced as discomfort or pain, and as a result the pelvic muscles will contract, further resisting the insertion of the tampon. The use of tampons with plastic applicators (Playtex Gentle Glide, Tampax Pearl) may be easier for the inexperienced tampon user to use, even though the plastic applicators are less environmentally friendly. Even if a young woman is menstruating her vagina may not be adequately lubricated if a tampon is to be successfully inserted. This is especially true for young teens whose's menstrual flow is more likely to be very light or spotty.

First time and inexperienced tampon users should lubricate the tampon applicator prior to inserting them into their vagina. Preferably water based lubricants like K-Y Jelly should be used inside the vagina. Petroleum based lubricants may adhere to the vaginal walls and increase the risk of vaginal infection. If a water based lubricant isn't available the applicator can be lubricated with saliva, or other available lubricants. The tampon applicator is sterile prior to use so it is perfectly safe to insert one into your mouth to lubricate it. Some resourceful women have learned to masturbate for a couple minutes prior to the insertion or removal of a tampon, as the resulting vaginal lubrication assists in the process, and you don't need to carry anything extra with you. You have you own built in lubrication supply, though if you are nervous it may not work all that well.

Parents should buy a water based lubricant prior to their daughter using tampons for the first time. Place the lubricant next to the box of tampons and explain to her what it is for. You may need to buy a small tube of lubricant for her to carry discreetly in her purse with her extra tampons, keeping extra tubes with her supply of tampons.

Removal & Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness may also cause difficulties with tampon removal. A tampon is basically a sponge that absorbs all moisture that comes in contact with it, not just the menstrual fluid. They absorb the menstrual fluid and all the other normal vaginal and cervical fluids that are normally produced throughout the menstrual cycle, which also help to keep the vagina healthy. This is actually one negative aspect of using tampons. This is especially true for young teens who are having light flows, and whose's vagina are less elastic and grip the tampon a little more snuggly.

The solution for young teens with light periods is not to use tampons. Girls and women should use the least absorbent tampon they can during every stage of their period. If your flow isn't heavy don't use Supers, use a regular or junior sized tampon. Parents should buy tampons that are smaller and less absorbent specifically for their daughter. If girl or woman's flow is nothing more than a little spotting then a pad or sanitary napkin is a better choice. If your flow is light and you want to go swimming, wear a dark colored swimsuit, leave the pad behind when you change into your swimsuit, and enter the water quickly after changing, and change out of your swimsuit soon after leaving the water, or keep a pair of dark colored shorts or wrap close at hand.

If a girl or woman finds herself with a tampon that is reluctant to come out, take several deep breaths, relax, then try squirting a small amount of water based lubricant into your vagina. Then insert a lubricated finger into your vagina to spread this lubricant around. Try to work the lubricant around the sides of the tampon. Masturbating may also help lubricate the vagina, if you are able to relax enough to do so. Squatting down on the floor with knees spread while pushing out, like during a bowel movement, may help move the tampon toward the vaginal opening. Soaking in a warm tub may also help, especially if your spread your labia with your fingers to allow water inside your vagina. Inserting a finger into your vagina and moving it slowly around in a circle may help relax your pelvic muscles too.

If added lubrication and gentle pulling on the removal string doesn't extract the tampon a visit to the doctor or gynecologist is recommended. You don't want to abrade away the outer layer of tissue from the vagina by forcibly removing the tampon. A young woman shouldn't hesitate to visit her doctor, or an emergency room, if this should happen. It is not a good idea to leave the tampon in for an extended period of time, as a unpleasant odor will develop, which also happens if you should forget to remove a tampon at the end of your period.

Out of Sight - Out of Mind

Given that the vagina is hidden from sight, even if a girl or young woman has seen her mother, or another woman, insert a tampon, she isn't likely to fully understand what was being done. This is because the person inserting the tampon unavoidably conceals her vulva with her hands during the insertion process, and the procedure is over in a couple of seconds. For a woman who has been inserting tampons for twenty years, it is a simple and easy task, but it may not be so easy for a young teen. As a result, a mother shouldn't assume that since her daughter has seen her insert and change her tampons that she knows how to do it herself.

While the relationship between most mothers and daughters likely does not permit the open discussion and demonstration of tampon insertion, mothers who have always openly changed their tampons, and discussed this with their daughter, may want to show their daughter where her vagina is, and slowly demonstrate how to insert and remove a tampon. To most mothers and daughters the idea of doing this probably sounds pretty unappealing. This is because most women have been conditioned by society to feel negatively about their body, and its normal bodily functions. If a mother doesn't feel comfortable doing it neither will the daughter.

Preparing Your Daughter

On the other hand it isn't advisable to hand your daughter a box of tampons and send her to the bathroom to figure it all out for herself when she is late for a baseball game or swimming, though this does appear to be a common scenario. A parent should discuss all the anatomy and biology of menstruation with their daughter when she nears the time of her first menstrual period, menarche, even if it has been discussed prior. Budding breasts is a visible indicator that it is time for this discussion, as on average, her menstrual periods will begin about a year later; even if she is only eight years old when her breasts start to develop. She may have forgotten what you told her in the past, didn't truly understand, or wants to know more detail, but is too embarrassed too ask. While you may have discussed everything with her at the age of five, what she learned from you then may not be what is true. Your daughter's friends may have supplied her with lots of false and misleading information.

When you have the discussion with her, show her where the tampons and/or sanitary napkins are kept in your home, if she wants to use them. Take a tampon, unwrap it, take it apart, show her all the different parts, and explain what they do. You might want to drop one in a small glass of water to show how they work. Don't use too much water or the size of the expanded tampon may scare her.

Demonstrate, using a clenched fist to represent the vagina, how to insert a tampon, what parts of the tampon and applicator go into the body, and which parts are removed; some girls have mistakenly left the applicator inside the vagina; ouch! This is a good way to show the difference between inserting a lubricated and non-lubricated applicator, as the lubricated one will slip into your fist much easier.

This discussion and demonstration are much easy if you have always been open about sex and menstruation. If she doesn't ask questions during the discussion, ask her questions to test her knowledge. This will help you to see if she truly understood what you have said, or meant to say. If she doesn't ask questions that means she probably didn't understand what you were telling her, or that she is too embarrassed to ask.

Parents and young teens often wonder how old a girl has to be before she can use tampons. This is particularly true since so many girls are having their first menstrual period at a young age, many at the age of ten, some even younger than that. The average age at which menarche occurs for all racial groups in the United States appears to be 10 to 14 years of age. As a girl goes through puberty, no matter at what age, her body prepares for sexual intercourse and pregnancy. By the time a girl experiences her first menstrual cycle her vagina has already gone through the process of getting ready for vaginal intercourse, though it may not be fully developed at that time. There is no physical or medical reason why a girl can't use a tampon from the start, and some do. On the other hand, the younger a girl is the less likely she is to be fully aware of her body. Younger girls may be less able to read and understand the instructions and warnings that come with the box of tampons. Parents probably need to play a more active role in their young daughter's use of tampons than if she were older when she had her first period. A girl's first experience with using a tampon, or trying to, will determine whether she able and willing to use them in the future. The more prepared she is, physically and mentally, the better the chances for success.

Health Concerns

There are risks associated with using tampons. Girls and women should be aware of these risks and make an educated decision as to whether tampons are appropriate for them. The vagina is always home to several different bacteria strains. At any given time both beneficial and harmful bacteria are present in the vagina. The good bacteria normally keep the bad bacteria in check. When they don't, infection, and rarely death, may occur. A yeast infection is an irritating but less severe example of what happens when the bad bacteria temporarily win the battle.

The female body is designed with the idea that menstrual fluid will flow straight through the vagina and exit the body where it will either dry out or fall to the ground, as it does with all mammals except humans. Humans are the exception, only because we wear clothing that conceals our genitals. For 99.9% of the time women have roamed this planet, commercially produced tampons and sanitary napkins didn't exist. They have existed for less than 100 years. What we call progress isn't always beneficial, especially for women.

The blood that collects in a tampon while it is inside the vagina can serve as an incubator for bacteria. In the warm moist environment of the vagina the menstrual blood provides nourishment for the bacteria. The longer a tampon is left inserted the stronger a toxic bacteria strain may become, perhaps enabling it to overwhelm both the good bacteria in the vagina, and the blood stream's natural defenses. Allowing blood to collect within the vagina for several hours, more than four, at a time simply isn't a very good idea. The presence of a strong odor indicates bacteria have had time to become abundant, as odors are caused by bacteria, not menstrual or vaginal fluids. The bacteria simply feed on these fluids.

Toxic Shock Syndrome

Apparently, some bacteria strains spread so fast that they can become a health risk if a tampon is left in the vagina for an extended period of time. Until recently tampon manufacturers recommended women always change their tampon every 4 hours, as a result of deaths caused by Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). They now say you can change your tampon every 4-8 hours. I personally believe tampon manufactures changed their recommendation based more on a desire for increased sales than what is best for women. They want women to feel it is okay to sleep through the night without needing to change their tampon. They want tampon users to only use tampons, not switch to sanitary napkins at night, as many recommend.

While it is no longer in the news, there was a time when many women were afraid to use tampons because they were linked to severe infections that sometimes resulted in death. The instructions that come with tampons warn users about TSS. A major TSS outbreak occurred in the early 1980's. 70% of the women who were infected were using tampons at the time. Women who used a super absorbent tampon with the brand name of Rely were found to be at greatest risk. These tampons were so absorbent, apparently much more absorbent than any other brand of tampons, women left them in for long periods of time, allowing this very toxic bacteria strain to enter into the blood stream through the vagina. The end result was that this brand of tampons was taken off the market. Even though TSS is no longer mentioned in the news it still exists and posses a risk to women, and particularly teens.

The toxic bacteria that causes TSS is often present in the vagina but it usually doesn't become a health concern. Combined with a tampon that is inserted for an extended period of time the bacteria can cause a major medical crisis. As a result, it is very unlikely women will ever see super absorbent tampons on the market ever again. Tampons are now rated by their absorbency, and women are encouraged to use the least absorbent tampon possible at all times. They even go so far as to advise women that sanitary napkins are better choice.

Additional Health Concerns

There are additional risks associated with tampons. There are web sites on the Internet that present information about how the bleaching process that makes tampons "sanitary white" in color results in toxic residues being present in the end product. In order to make the tampons look more appealing to customers they treat them with chemicals. It is impossible to remove all the chemical residue from the tampons. "If" this is true, women are inserting potentially chemical laden sponges into their vagina for several days at a time. While a tampon may look clean, it may be far from it. Looks can be deceiving. You can read an article the challenges these claims by clicking here.

The use of tampons can also injure the vagina by scrapping, scratching, and abrading the vaginal walls. Inserting the tampon applicator with its multiple plastic edges can result in minor injuries to the vagina, and given that much of the vagina is relatively insensitive to touch, you probably wont know it. These small injuries to the vagina can make it easier for bacteria to enter the blood stream increasing a woman's chances of developing a vaginal infection.

Women should NEVER use deodorant feminine hygiene products. The camouflaging scents are created with chemicals. Many woman are very sensitive to minute amounts of some chemicals. A woman may not be aware that her tampons are causing a problem, since the infection or irritation may not present itself until several days after her menstrual period has ended. If a woman is experiencing a problem with odor during her menstrual period this likely means she isn't changing her sanitary napkin or tampon as often as she should. Odor is caused by bacteria, which need time to reproduce before an odor can be present. A woman may have an infection that is most active when she is menstruating because of the presence of menstrual fluid.

If a woman chooses to use tampons do so with moderate caution. Change them frequently, every 4 hours. Switch to sanitary napkins at night. If pads bother you or you prefer to sleep nude sleep on a folded towel or Luv Linen. Reusable cloth menstrual pads may be more comfortable to wear than the disposable versions. If possible, only use tampons while exercising or engaging in sports, if sanitary napkins bother you during these activities. Modern sanitary napkins are very thin, so women no longer need to worry about others noticing them under their clothing; or if they do, why should they care. Women need to be aware that it is social conditioning that makes them feel the need to hide their menstruation, in spite of the fact everyone knows women menstruate relatively frequently. It is equivalent to covering your nose with a bandage hoping everyone will be led to believe you don't have a nose.

While a mother may have made an educated decision to use tampons her daughter may start to use them simply because she does. A young girl may simply believe that if it is okay for her mother to use them it must be okay for her. Mothers need to discuss the possible hazards of using tampons with their daughter so she can fully understand those risks, and decide for herself if they are appropriate for her.

If a woman finds herself dealing with chronic vaginal infections or irritations, and she uses tampons, she should consider switching to unscented sanitary napkins for six months to see if the infections and irritations go away. It is possible that a chemical residues in the tampons are irritating your vaginal lining, or as a result of blood collecting in the tampon, a bacteria strain is able to flourish during your period.

Unnecessary Products

Women should not assume that since a "feminine hygiene" product is available to them at their local store that it is safe and appropriate for them to use. Products like strawberry scented douches and scented tampons and pads are sold even though doctors routinely warn women not to use them. The vagina is self cleaning, anything that interferes with that natural process by killing off beneficial bacteria or changes the vaginal environment in any way, increases the chances a woman will develop a vaginal infection. Keep in mind the fact that women existed on this planet successfully without the existence of these products for thousands of years, which means, they probably aren't needed. Please be aware of what you are placing in or against your body during your menstrual period. If you wouldn't put it in your mouth should you place it in your vagina or against your vulva? How much do you value your vulva and vagina?

Video Clips

Clicking on the link below will cause your web browser to download a cartoon that demonstrates how to insert a tampon. This movie file is 2.6 Megabytes.

Tampon Insertion Video

An old video produced by Walt Disney and Kotex explaining menstruation can be seen by clicking here. Don't believe everything it says. It presents outdated and false believes. You may find it amusing.

More video clips and information addressing "feminine hygiene," some educational and others amusing, can been seen by clicking here.