Tampons

A tampon is a feminine hygiene product that is specifically designed to absorb the menstrual flow. It is inserted into the vagina during menstruation. When inserted correctly, the tampon is held in place by the walls of the vagina and expands as it soaks up menstrual blood.

The majority of tampons sold in the market are either made of rayon alone or blended with cotton. Plus they are available with different absorbency levels. According to studies, the average woman can approximately use about 11,400 tampons in her lifetime. This is only if she used tampons rather than any other product. In many countries, regular tampons, are medical devices. The design varies between products and companies. However, majorly there are two categories based on insertion method – applicator and digital tampons inserted with fingers. However, there exist many health concerns about the use of these sanitary products. So let’s explore the pros and cons of using a tampon before you head to buy one.

Common pros and Cons of using tampons

Both pads and tampons are meant to help you go through menstruation issues without any mess. Today the market offers a wide collection of organic items including biodegradable tampons as well as for sensitive skin. Despite that, there are many options for women to deal with their menstrual blood; tampons are always seen as taboo. There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about these sanitary products that deter women from using them. First of all, ladies, be mindful that you won’t lose your virginity by using a tampon. Here is a quick list of the pros and cons of using a tampon.

Pro – They is small and has no smell

Every woman would love to go through her period without making it obvious. Most pads are visible and force women to dress accordingly to the days she is going through. Unlike an expanded pad, a tampon is really small and completely indivisible when used. Even in the packaging, they are easier to carry in the pocket of your jeans or the smallest compartment of the bag. Leaving a pad down there for long will lead you to an awful smell. To avoid it, it is advised to change the pad every 3 to 4 hours. Contrary, a tampon is an odour free as it will not expose the blood to interact with air. Hence no smell and infection-causing bacteria.

Pro – Go swimming and No granny panties anymore

For active and outdoorsy ladies, a tampon is a godsend. They allow you to live normal life play tennis, ride horses, and even go swimming with tampons inside. If you have inserted it right, you can never even feel if it is inside you doing the job of absorbing the blood. Comparatively, pads become lumpy and visible, and they are prone to leading when you are physically active. Plus these small devices are inside your body, and thus you won’t need to wear those big panties to carry your pads around and cover your bottom. So, you can wear your thong even on a period day. There will surely be no discomfort or leakage if you are using a tampon regardless of the type of panty you put on.

Con – TSS – Toxic Shock Syndrome

A major setback of the tampon is the higher risk of developing TSS that generally occurs if you forget a tampon side for long hours. It normally occurs because many women find these sanitary products so comfortable they forget that it is up in their vagina. And so they end up leaving it in there for hours. It results in causing bacteria growth around the inserted tampon that later spread into the bloodstream. Common symptoms of TSS are nausea, fever, diarrhoea, dehydration, vomit and muscle pain. In some cases, it can be fatal, and there are recorded cases where women need to have their leg amputated to stop the growth of TSS. But, it’s not tampon that causes TSS; rather it’s leaving it inside for too long.

Con- Not eco-friendly

Unfortunately, they are not eco-friendly. They have polypropylene (the wrap over the material of a tampon), it is biodegradable. So every time you are using a tampon, you are actually adding up to the climate crisis. Some studies also claim that chemicals like chlorine and pesticides are used to bleach the cotton used in these sanitary products. Although for now, it seems to be a first-world problem, imagine all women using it. The results of climate can be drastic. This is why many brands are coming up with organic tampons and leaving the final choice to you.