Everything you need to know about using Tampons

How often should I change my tampon?

If you use tampons when on your period or are thinking about using tampons, it is essential to know how often to change them for your safety. Whether you use tampons with or without an applicator, they are meant to be used once only, then thrown away after use.

You should aim to change your tampon every six to eight hours. Don’t leave a tampon in for longer than eight hours as doing so can put you at risk of developing a life-threatening disease called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). For more information on Toxic Shock Syndrome CLICK HERE

Which tampon absorbency is right for you?

It is important to use the lowest absorbency tampon in conjunction with your menstrual flow. If you can wear a tampon for up to eight hours without it leaking, it is possible that the absorbency is too high for your menstrual flow. However, if your tampon is leaking before the two-hour mark, the absorbency of your tampon might be too low for you.

You might think that wearing a higher absorbency tampon means you don’t have to change it as much which is saving you money and time, in reality it is actually putting you at risk of developing TSS. Even if your tampon isn’t leaking, you still need to change it every six to eight hours for your own hygiene and safety.

Make sure that when you remove a tampon, it should be saturated. That is how you know that you are using the correct absorbency for your menstrual flow. Therefore, if your tampon isn’t saturated, the absorbency might be too high. If your tampon is saturated but leaking, then the absorbency might be too low for your menstrual flow.

FAQ’s on tampon changing below!

How do I know when my tampon is full?

1. There is blood in the string. You’re lucky, you caught it just in time before a leakage! Your tampon should be saturated and ready for changing.
2. It slides out easily when you tug on the string. Your tampon should do this when it is saturated, it is best to change it at this time.
3. You feel or see period leakage. Some people like to wear a pad underneath just in case of leakages.

Should I change my tampon every time I pee?

There is no rule to say you should or shouldn’t change your tampon every time you use the bathroom, however, some women prefer to and some don’t mind. If you didn’t know, the string attached to a tampon is extremely absorbent, so when pee flows out of your body, the tampon string is likely to absorb it. Although urine is sterile and can’t give you an infection (unless you already have a UTI), some women don’t like the feeling or smell of a wet tampon string. If you’re one of those women, you can simply hold the tampon string to the side when peeing or change your tampon. If you use the bathroom quite frequently, changing your tampon each time can be more costly and may cause irritation.

Is it bad if I change my tampon too frequently?

It isn’t necessarily bad but if your tampon isn’t saturated, changing your it too frequently can cause some discomfort. Doing so can also be more costly and wasteful. It is best to stick to the correct tampon absorbency for you and change it every six to eight hours.

Additional Resources

Anderson, J. (2020). Yes, You Really Should Change Your Tampon That Often — Here’s Why.

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-often-should-you-change-your-tampon#takeaway

Conforth, T. (2020). How Often to Change Tampons or Pads During Your Period.https://www.verywellhealth.com/menstrual-hygiene-how-often-to-change-tampons-or-pads-3522511 )

The Period Blog. (n.d.). Tampon Help: Changing your Tampon.

http://www.theperiodblog.com/how-to-guides/how-to-tell-when-to-change-your-tampon/

 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). The Facts on Tampons—and How to Use Them Safely.https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/facts-tampons-and-how-use-them-safely

Watson, S. (2018). Does peeing with a tampon affect urine flow?https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-pee-with-a-tampon-in