1. The average woman uses 11,000-17,000 tampons in a lifetime. [source]
2. The first forms of tampons are thought to have been made thousands of years ago by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. They were made from all sorts of natural material, like wool, paper, vegetable fibers, sponges and even grass. [source]
3. Tampons sold in the U.S. may contain cotton, rayon, or blends of cotton and rayon, but the FDA doesn’t require tampon or pad makers to list ingredients on the packaging. [source]
4. Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) was widely linked to tampon use in the 1980′s, but only 5 menstrual-related cases reported were reported in 1997. [source]
5. As a medical device, the tampon has been around since the 19th century, when antiseptic cotton tampons treated with salicylates were used to stop the bleeding from bullet wounds, and there have been reports of modern menstrual tampons being used for the same purpose by soldiers in the Iraq War. [source]
6. You can do things with tampons besides the obvious; check out Tampon Crafts for some crafty ideas. (Site not for the squeamish)
7. While about 70% of women in the U.S., Canada and most of western Europe use tampons, only 2% of women in Mexico do, and only 4% in Italy. Catholicism connection? [source]
daisy / 593 posts
I will ONLY use tampons.
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@WordsandThoughts@xanga - Same.
ranunculus / 3285 posts
Or you could stick it up your nose to stop nosebleeds. She’s the Man <3
magnolia / 1296 posts
I find #7 fascinating. I really do wonder why.
P.S. That is a shitload of tampons in one lifetime… and paper or grass tampons do not sound the least bit comfortable.
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I love #7 … LOL .
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I don’t like using tampons…its so uncomfortable…
daisy / 526 posts
@jumpthenfly@xanga - I agree.
I couldn’t even use tampons until after I had sex, but even now I very rarely use them. It’s the diva cup or always infinity for me, kthx.
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Catholicism connection?? haha oh wow…because religion definitely has something to do with tampon use. I’m Catholic and I use tampons
sunflower / 309 posts
When I read no. 7 I just LOL’d, ’cause my mom thinks that using tampons is like losing your virginity
She’s hella old school
I didn’t even bother getting into an argument about it, ’cause it’s just silly
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those crafts were interesting…..
ranunculus / 3457 posts
@ntancin@xanga - You didn’t grow up in a very, very conservative Latin American country. I did, at least, most of my life. While in the US, we know that tampons don’t mean you lose your virginity, in conservative parts of Latin America, that belief still holds. Maybe not in the “big cities”, but in rural areas especially, tampons are not used because of the virginity argument or they’re not even available. I don’t know about Italy though.
So yeah, religion, in these specific areas, has to do with it. Remember that religion and religious practices/beliefs vary a lot depending on the area and culture said religion is practiced.
Anyway, I’ll never use pads again. Hate the damn things. Feel like I pissed myself.
rose / 847 posts
Jesus, that’s a lot of waste. I’d never had success with tampons. Give me a menstrual cup and I’m good to go~
dahlia / 2382 posts
I didnt check the site yet but one of the funniest crafts I saw was a girl who made a beaded curtain from tampon applicators. I hope she atleast cleaned them first. XD
I use tampons but because of my heavy flow history (YAY!!….not) I wear a pad as a back up. They need to up the absorbency of tampons.
daisy / 512 posts
@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - According to the info slips in tampon boxes, higher absorbency tampons increase risk of getting TSS. They probably don’t make super high absorbency tampons because they don’t want to be sued or blamed for anything.
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almost 19 and haven’t used a tampon… not fond of the idea of sticking something up there and leaving it!
lily / 5148 posts
I use tampons in the day..and pads at night when I sleep. I’m still trying to get used to tampons. They are weird for sure…
dahlia / 2382 posts
@black_lie@xanga - ::sighs:: Oh well, I guess running to the bathroom one week a month wont be too horrible. Thanks for the info! I havent read one of those in a while because I know how to use a tampon. I just open it to check for coupons. LOL
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@pinkdagger@xanga - Where can I get one of those? lol.. I want to try it out. Cut down on so much waste!
8f5f2e9a-4e65-467c-8c1a-af258bb3d76c1.03.01
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“Tampons are uncomfortable”
then you’re doing it wrong, or you’re wearing a size TOO big.
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and yeah, Catholics man, my aunt and my grandma both SWEAR that it’s “nasty, dangerous, uncomfortable, and dirty.”
they’re catholic.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup
EW? Sounds WAY too much trouble to me.
cherry blossom / 48 posts
I’ve tried it all for Aunt Flo, and my favorite product to use is the menstrual cup. I don’t want to contribute to overflowing landfills! D:
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Interesting. I hate pads – feels like you’re wearing a diaper.
tulip / 22 posts
i don’t like pads, but i’ve never used a tampon…
my mom is totally #7- she practically yelled at me when i asked which one i should use. she told me i COULD NOT stick anything up my vagina until i get married. ha.
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The picture is adorable :p
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Diva Cup all the way.
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I dont like using tampons
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#6 FOR THE WIN.
rose / 847 posts
@SaMoAnTeiNe00@xanga - There are a ton of different brands to look into. The initial cost of the most common brand (Diva Cup – Canadian brand) is $40 if you find a drugstore or whole foods kind of store to visit in person. If you’re not opposed to buying online, you save a substantial amount of money and can explore many more options as there are European and Asian brands as well, and I’m pretty sure all of them are cheaper but they should all stay useable as long as you don’t like, throw them in bleach. I’m expecting to still be using mine in a decade. Keep in mind that not all cups are made equally and they won’t all fit you the same, and while most are made of medical grade silicone, there is still a cup (Keeper) made of rubber in case you have material sensitivities. They’re all different sizes and shapes, comparably between brands, and usually come in two or three different sizes for pre- and post-childbirth. Some brands off the top of my head are Yuuki, Mooncup, LadyCup, Lunette, FemmeCup, MeLuna.
The MeLuna is cheapest by far, around $18 and comes from Germany, I think. This community is a great place if you’re unsure of what cup to buy, because especially if you’re buying in person, it’s a pretty expensive purchase that you can’t really return if it doesn’t fit. This person does bulk orders for MeLunas so it’s slightly cheaper there, too. I use a DivaCup (the longest cup), which I love, but I also wanted a MeLuna (the shortest cup – because it comes in fun colours and has a ball stem, which is very cute, but I wouldn’t recommend that stem for beginners because it’s slippery), but it’s worked out very well! I got my MeLuna with her, so I can vouch for her not being a scam artist.
Sorry for the novel, haha.
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never used a tampon….. but hmmmm, that menstrual cup sounds interesting, i just might try that one… thanks for the tip lovelies!
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I just switched to a DivaCup a couple cycles ago, but I’m loving it thus far. I’m not quite to the point that I super trust it yet, but I’m getting there. Leaving the cup in for 12hrs at a time is sooo much better than changing tampons semi-frequently.
I really really really hate pads though. I’ve only had to use one a couple times in a pinch and I really disliked its diaper feeling.
I’m so glad that my very-catholic family never gave me more than an offhand glare for using tampons. Seriously, not using a feminine care product due to religious beliefs? F*ck that.
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I hate them
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@live_for_love@xanga - A diva cup is bigger than a tampon to put in. That makes no sense!
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@ntancin@xanga - lol exactly what i was thinking. i was like, “wha??…i don’t get it.”
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My mom was against we using tampons for years. If wanted them had to purchase with my own money.
Unless put it wrong, and yes that is possible, they aren’t uncomfortable at all. Just takes getting used to inserting.
On occasion I will use a panty liner for back-up protection.
When came time for our daughter to start her period, discussed the difference in pads verses tampons. Naturally like most she was grossed out with the idea of tampons.
It was until she was in middle school, with swimming part of PE, that she asked about giving them a try. We went to the store, looked over all the different brands and types, before making a purchase.
Since then she has never considered going back to pads.
Before she would gripe and complain about how uncomfortable pad was during dance.
Like so many closed mind people, all to many people think you have had to loose your virginitay to use tampons. That is so not true.
She has had a few little comments made by other girls when discover she uses them. Yet all she has to say is positive reasons for using them.
Her best friend in fact had numerous questions for me about tampons. Talk about akward. Her parents do not believe in them. Did my best not to swade her one way or the other and yet give her all the answers to her questions that I could.
Some I honestly was shocked to hear in this day and time.
rose / 847 posts
@Operation_Carefree@xanga - But cups are inserted partially or completely folded which reduces a lot of anxiety about size. Because of their flexibility, when they open, they conform to the curves inside the vagina so in essence a cup could stay comfortably squished inside of someone whose vagina is too small or uncomfortable to use tampons, and there would still be no mess so long as the cup is opened/suctioned around the cervix.
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Mexican women think that if you use a tampon that you’re not a virgin anymore. So they don’t let their daughters use them and they’re all taught that they’re bad to use I guess.
^^ Information personally gained from discussing the matter with middle aged Mexican women.
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tampons are so much better than pads
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@thedommediaries@xanga - my friend is ecuadorian and she has this problem with her mother, so i think it’s mostly hispanics in general.
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@SUPletstake___surveys@xanga - Yeah I would assume so. I’ve never talked to many hispanic women of other nationalities, so I just said Mexicans so I wouldn’t be assuming something false, lol.
magnolia / 1066 posts
I love tampons. It was hard to get used to at first, but they’re so much more comfortable and convenient…pads feel like diapers. These facts are interesting.
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I just started using tampons! I find the ones with a plastic applicator are so much easier to use, although the O.B. ones might cut down on the waste, I’d rather not use them and stick to the ones with an applicator.
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Another interesting fact: they will release dioxin into your body causing breast, cervical, ovarian, and other cancers.
http://www.fda.gov/ScienceResearch/SpecialTopics/WomensHealthResearch/ucm134825.htm
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those tampons in the picture are freakin huge! jumbo???
i have used tampons about 3 or 4 times and never since. they are just so uncomfortable! i’d rather deal with pads
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holy crap on 2 and 4 percent? ._.
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that “tampon craft” site is halarious
tulip / 21 posts
Where can I buy those things in the picture?! They’re ADORABLE! …which is kind of weird. But I love em!
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@pinkdagger@xanga - that’s just disgusting. that’s so freaking gross. unsanitary!! ew ew ew ew. *dies*
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The tampon is the greatest invention since, and possibly including, the wheel. I’ve worn them since I was 13; it got old quick having to miss a week of swim team practice every month. They are so much better than a pad, which feels gross and messy like a diaper plus you feel like there’s no way everyone can’t see it. Those cup things… sorry to destroy the environment but they just sound gross. Not only do I not want to collect the liquid, but when I move around it would probably get dislodged or fall out of place. I don’t trust it and want to still be able to work out, stretch, and be comfortable.
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My mom is Catholic and I can’t even begin to explain to her that I don’t have to be married to be able to use a tampon. That poor woman.
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I have never used a tampon. I’m 19. I am too afraid. I’ll have sex, but won’t use a tampon. Haha. Life’s funny sometimes. Or maybe that’s just me. XP
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@pinkdagger@xanga - same here
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they do not sell tampons in Taiwan.
well, maybe they do, but I have NO idea where to get them. they are not readily available next to the pads. I’m going to DIE when I run out!!!
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Yeah, I agree that it is hispanic women in general that don’t use tampons rather than just Mexican women….my mom is Peruvian and has never worn a tampon in her life, therefore advised me not to use them either…
I’m probably going to switch to tampons soon seeing as there’s a possibility that I could become sexually active soon. They used to hurt me really bad but now that I’m more sexually experienced and a bit more comfortable with myself down there , it’ll probably make more sense to switch to tampons….
orchid / 137 posts
@BayCat - Lol That’s the same exact reason my mom wouldn’t let me used tampons when I was younger. She kept telling me that I would lose my virginity from them.
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@ohletitbe@xanga - Exactly.
Personally, I find pads to be uncomfortable and less sanitary.
hydrangea / 97 posts
@live_for_love@xanga - So how did you come to try those? Most pple think it’s the most disgusting thing ever when its that time. What was your first impression of them?
hydrangea / 97 posts
wow… those are some interesting facts about tampons… Although I’m not sure how true it is that they can cause you to lose your virginity? Is that really true???
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@nubian_qween@xanga - That is so not true.
A virgin is someone who hasn’t had sexual intercourse. It has nothing to do with using tampons. The hymen, a flexible membrane that partially covers the vaginal opening, is usually still intact for girls who haven’t had sexual intercourse. Most girls can slide a tampon in through that same opening that lets menstrual fluid out without affecting the hymen.
The hymen is also not an indicator of virginity. The tissues of the vulva are generally very thin and delicate prior to puberty , so many girls and teens tear or dilate their hymen while participating in sports like bicycling, horseback riding, gymnastics or while inserting tampons. A girl may not even know this has occurred, since there may be little or no blood or pain involved when this happens. Remnants of the hymen are usually still present until a woman delivers a baby vaginally.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/12449-female-hymen/#ixzz0zcvwpj5h
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The cup sounds super gross…how are you supposed to clean it (like recommended) in a public bathroom..
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Im a user of tampons
..but those crafts just creep me out.
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pads are disgusting! i’ve used tampons since I got my period when i was 11 & i’m 18 now.
i had to use a pad once, and it was uncomfortable..why would you want blood just sitting there in your jeans? ew.
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@MoonFaeEyryan@xanga - I feel that way when I wear pads too >.<
sunflower / 389 posts
Lol at the link to Catholicism . . .
In 7th grade, my friends dad stopped letting me hang out with my best friend because I “took her virginity”. By giving her a tampon. Oh, am I going to burn in hell . . .
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thats a cute pic.
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I’m an Army Infantryman in Afghanistan right now, we use tampons for wounds all the time
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Yea, Number 7 is believable. I grew up right on the Mexico border in the US, and a LOT of girls I knew were just not allowed to use tampons. Their moms told them they’d lose their virginity from them.
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I have to point out something about your paraphrasing for #4. What you essentially wrote (or can be inferred) was that tampons are not linked to TSS and that the five cases reported in 1997 support that. If you had copied and pasted the information directly from the site you cited, it would paint a different picture. Taken directly from your link:
Toxic shock syndrome is rare, in fact, only 5 menstrual-related cases
reported were reported in 1997. Scientists agree that there is a
connection between tampon use and TSS, however, they remain unsure of
the exact connection.
If you’re trying to stress the fact that scientists can’t find the link between tampon use and TSS, you have to take into account that people were made aware of TSS since… whenever the surge in cases took place and measures were taken to try to prevent it.
If that wasn’t your intention, then you need to make sure you convey the correct message when paraphrasing.
Also, to anyone who’s wondering why it says MENSTRUAL-related cases, it’s because when there were a rise in cases a few decades ago, young boys were also getting TSS.
magnolia / 1369 posts
My mom banned me and my sister from using tampons but after a while we started using them behind her back. Im sure she’s figured it out by now but considering Im 21 and don’t exactly live with her, what can she do?
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I’m Catholic and I definitely use tampons… but I didn’t always and only started after fooling around with a guy so maybe there’s a connection?
orchid / 180 posts
The first statistic makes me even more determined that I should switch to a DivaCup.
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I don’t use them. My body feels like its clogged. It’s really uncomfortable :[
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@ohletitbe@xanga - I think they’re uncomfortable too and I did it right and used a smaller size. It just isn’t comfortable.
hydrangea / 65 posts
i use tampons and honestly its way way more sanitary than pads.
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heres a rather painfull tampon fact
if you put a tampon in a bottle of liquid, it will expand to fill the entire bottle
now thats not the painfull part, this is…
if you push a tampon up past the lip on the inside of your NOSE it will still expand to almost ten times its size, cauzing expansive bruiseing and excrutiating pain for the pour sod that decided to try it in the first place