Pads, tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome

[JessiMari]

Hey girls....well look...i've been thinking of using tampons instead of pads....but my mom scared me with that TSS that u can get if you wear tampons....I wear pads but I always have trouble with them becuz I sometimes get a mess.....I always feel that it moves around....I dunno...I think Tampons are better but i'm not sure....What do u girls use and which is better and safer?

[Spatula]

Chances of getting TSS are VERY rare, especially if you sometimes interchange pads with tampons and change your tampons at least every 6 hours. (Maybe 8 hours? I'm not too sure.)

As long as you're not abusing those tampons, you've got nothing to worry about.

[Tootsie Pop]

I use tampons. They are more comfortable...for some reason I feel less cramped up with them (probably because I am not as uncomfortable as I am with a pad and therefore think aboutmy period less...)
Just dont exceed 8 hours and you really have nothing to worry about. I wear pads to bed, if I am lounging around, and if I am on my last 2 days and it is really light. I wear tampons whenever I go out. But like SPatual said, "dont abuse them" they can kinda "scratch" the inner wall or something like that (I read somewhere....).

[DeviantSweetness]

I use tampons because I worry about leakage less so I actually feel less like I'm on my period.
But to be safe I also use pads sometimes, like when I go to bed or my last couple days.

[super_chevy2000]

I prefer tampons. They are perfectly healthy and safe to use. The TSS usually only comes from using the super absorbancy tampons but if you use the regular ones it'll be alright.

[nicruns]

read the directions..each absorbancy has a recommended number of hours you should keep it in. as long as you dont exceed that number you should be fine. its women who "forget" they have a tampon in and leave it in for days that really risk TSS

[Sydney123456]

Tampons. They are a lot more comfortable. I rarely worry about TSS. I've had mine in for 9 hours once and I'm still living. So, it's rare.

Pads...yuck.

[acid rain]

Tampons.

I'd be wearing a pad, and I'll shift slightly to the left and suddenly it leaks. Ugh. The bad thing about tampons is TSS, but I'm not worried.

[Cherisse]

Tampons. Pads were messy, and I have the same terrible paranoia about TSS. Just don't slep with a tampon in, and you shouyld be fine. and for the last couple days, the light tampons are good, with pantyliners.

[BlondTgr]

Hmm yeah, I'm paranoid about it, too. I only wear tampons when I swim, because I'm just afraid I'll forget...Oh, well. I've never had a problem with pads.

[sageraw]

I am using both, I alternate daily. On one hand I like tampons better cuss they do not have much of an odder, and they do not move around and leek as much, but I did have one leek once because it was my first day and it was 2 heavy I suppose. Pads are nice because you don't have to worry about inserting any thing inside you that bugs me. I think pads are better for virgins I think. It takes up a lot of room in your pocket vs tampons. I do cramp more when I have tampons in, although I think that it is just me, they are always really bad or not @ all. if you stick a tampon in wrong it really hurts.

[Nikster]

Tampons.

A friend of mine actually got TSS, but she left her tampon in for about 12 hours or something. As long as you change it frequently, you don't have anything to worry about. I find that I can't feel it, so it doesn't feel like I'm wearing a diaper. Just be sure to change it.

[Intrigue1201]

I use both...but I started using tampons on my 2nd period. They're good if you don't have the chance to check up on it every now and then...but to sleep and when I'm hanging around at home...I prefer pads cause sometimes I forget I have a tampon in. And if ya wanna swim, you gotta wear tampons. The best thing about tampons is you can't feel 'em

[rcwant2be]

i use tampons by day & pads by night. to calm your tss fears, use the smallest absorbancy needed to control your flow. note that all tampons of the same absorbancy , regardless of brand, will absorb the same amount. don't leave your tampon instered for more than 8 hours. i usually go 6 hours max. another thing i always do, before inserting the tampon i tug on the string to make sure it's tightly attached, so later when i go to remove it i don't have problems. i also wear a panty liner with the tampon just in case. i've found the plastic applicator type to be the easiest to insert, and finally, i read this somehere. say you've got a tampon rolling around in your pursoe & it comes unwrapped. don't use it. cuz it could have picked up bacteria/dirt/etc. smae goes for if u drop it on the bathroom floor. as long as u are careful, you shouldn't have a problem. read the package insert & check out the manufacturers webpage for more info.

[kuju]

wearing tampons at night is NOT recommended.

I don't use tampons. I find them annoying. and I've never really been able to get them in properly. But then... I only get my period once every three months, and then it's EXTREMELY light and lasts only a few days.

[Im2die44]

I prefer tampons. My mom pulled the whole "TSS scare" thing on me too. Don't let it scare you. Tampons are smaller, cleaner, fresher, easier, more comfortable(I can't even feel 'em), and don't smell like pads can. The higher the absorbancy, the higher the risk, so those should be left in for less time. TSS is very rare, and as long as you don't leave it in for like 39 hours, you're fine. Don't get any with perfumes. Buy a box and read the paper inside, it'll answer all your questions. I'll never go back to pads.

[The Vice]

whats TSS???

[*pOpuLaR~pRiNcEsS*]

i use tampons by day & pads by night.

same here

[Tootsie Pop]

whats TSS???Toxic Shock Syndrome. It has something to do with bacteria and too much absorbtion. Not sure of the specifics....I just know its bad, and people go to the hospital for it sometimes.

[JessiMari]

Sounds good...I'm a virgin tho...is that a problem?

[LuvaGirl]

I use both...my flow can be heavy so I need a tampon and the added security of the pad.


Being a virgin won't affect whether or not you can wear tampons. They're so thin that it doesn't matter.

[Danae]

I use both...my flow can be heavy so I need a tampon and the added security of the pad.



Same here. I don't like Super tampons so I just get regular and use a pad to get anything else.

[Intrigue1201]

Playtex slimfits are good since they're really small..but being a virgin doesn't make a difference

[wowzers]

i only use tampons on occasion... like for soccer games or muddy soccer practice (ack)... other than that i use pads, but i use the really thin ones

[SoSweetAngel]

Sounds good...I'm a virgin tho...is that a problem?

No, I think most people use tampoins before they have sex!!
If you..er..know how it all is up there thn its easier to insert them properly....

I use both - but usually pads. I don't know why - I'm not paranoid about TSS, and I have no problem inserting them - but I just don't like wearing them all the time. Don't ask me why, because I don't know!!

[super_chevy2000]

Sounds good...I'm a virgin tho...is that a problem?

Whether or not you are a virgin doesn't affect TSS, so no that's not a problem.

[Sparklies]

i use tampons by day & pads by night.

same here

me too :D

[JessiMari]

ok...I got it...but another prob (I'm full of them, sorrie girls)....but how do u know if it's properly in? I've never used those things and i'm afraid I might do it wrong or something.....Thanx for the help girlz!! I appreaciate it so much!!

[Hippie96321]

I use tampons and I hate it if I run out and have to borrow my sisters pads...I just feel like every time I move it's gonna leak.

Anyway, to answer ur question: you can ususally tell by the feel if it's in properly...if there is any pain after you pull the applicator out and everything (assuming you use tampons with applicators) then usually you didn't get it in right...also if you have it at the wrong angle sometimes it's not possible to get up in as far as you should...but like others have said, they have instructions in the package explaining this also and probably a lot better than I can.

And to answer a little more thoroughly the question about what TSS is:
What is TSS?
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a rare, but potentially serious disease that has been associated with tampon use. In rare cases, TSS can be fatal. TSS is believed to be caused by toxin-producing strains of the staphylococcus aureus bacterium.

What causes TSS?
The bacterium that causes TSS is found most commonly on the skin, in the nose, armpit, groin or vagina. In fact, about one third of the population carry it without any problem at all. However, in a very small number of people, certain strains of the bacterium produce toxins that can cause TSS. Most people have the antibodies in their bloodstream to protect them from the toxin if it is produced, but many do not.

Can anyone get TSS?
TSS can affect anyone--men, women or children. Some cases of TSS are caused by infections following insect bites, burns or surgery. About half of the reported cases are associated with women using tampons.

Can you catch TSS from other people?
No. TSS is not a contagious disease.

What is the link between TSS and tampon use?
The link is not clearly understood. However, tampon research shows that the risk of tampon-related TSS is associated with absorbency: the higher the absorbency the higher the risk; the lower the absorbency the lower the risk. That is why a woman should always use the lowest absorbency tampon for her menstrual flow.

Can the risk of tampon-related TSS be reduced?
There are several things that can be done. Women should use the lowest absorbency tampon for their menstrual flow. The risk of tampon-related TSS may also be reduced by using pads as an alternative from time to time during a period.

[BlondTgr]

^ really great and informative! :)

[JessiMari]

thanx Hippie96321....that was very helpful....I'm very pist cuz my mom doesn't want me to use them cuz in her closed mind...."it's bad. :evil: :evil:

[PepsiWonder]

Tampons > pads. I've been using them pretty much since I've started my period, and left them in for hideous amounts of time (9, 10 hours.. one time I somehow managed to put one in while I had another one in, so imagine my surprise when 5 hours later, I pulled out two.. don't do that, it's bad) and I'm still fine. Tampons, when properly inserted, simply feel a lot better. Sometimes it might hurt cause it's slipping out, or when you sit down, but then all you have to do is take it out and try with another one. And it definitely takes some getting used to, at first. I tend to wear really thin pads, or usually just pantiliners at the end of my period or at night cause I don't bleed so much and it's not worth the hassle of using up another tampon. Don't worry about what your mom says, because in general, tampons are much better.

[zoe]

I've always used pads up until about a month ago. Um.. I use pads most of the time, but tampons if I'm swimming, or if I'm just in the mood to wear something less.. diapery. However, I wasn't able to put in tampons until after I had sex.

If you mom says you can't because "it's bad", go join a swim team or waterpolo! Then you have to wear them. Or, just buy them and hide them from her and wear them anyway.

[JessiMari]

Or, just buy them and hide them from her and wear them anyway.

That's exactly what i've been planning to do.. :evil2: ..Hey, is it easier to insert it in you after u had sex?