Are tampons bad for you?

Question

i know that they are not, but my mom is paranoid about them. she said that they are bad for you, that they will "mess up your flow and back up your body" cheyaNO!!!! she wont let me use them. I HATE PADS! they are so messy!!!! so i just want to make sure, and give her some proof: are tampons bad for you in ANY way?

Answer 1

no they are not bad for you at all. TSS is VERY rare so i wouldn't worry. =]

Answer 2

There is a Y!A user named Faith who typed in this answer for a question asking what a divacup is:

A Divacup is a brand of menstrual cup, a menstrual cup is a bell-shaped cup that goes into your v****a to catch menstrual flow, Divacup’s are made from firm medical grade silicone and more cup-shaped than a lot of other menstrual cup brands. Divacup is also one of the first menstrual cup brands to come out on the market made of silicone, based in Canada.

Menstrual cups can be left in for up to 12 hours at a time without leaking because they carry twice as much menstrual flow then tampons and unlike tampons menstrual cups aren't linked to any sort of health problem. As they collect menstrual blood meaning that they don't mess with your vaginas natural cleaning functions and menstrual cups don't contain harmful chemicals as some tampons do. Many women are now switching to menstrual cups from using tampons as they are learning how harmful tampons are to health and environment, as well as this menstrual cups are far more comfortable and convenient for women to use than tampons.

Tampons prevent normal vaginal cleaning functions, give bacteria the perfect place to multiply within the v****a, absorb vaginal fluids leading to dryness, leave fibres within the v****a, and commercial tampons contain chemicals and bleach. Thus why tampons are linked to TSS, vaginal infections, menstrual cramps, cancer, and endometriosis, see tampon health web site - http://www.spotsite.org

Menstrual cups are reusable so as well as health benefits a lot of women use them instead of tampons or pads because they are better for the environment and much cheaper - menstrual cups also come with money back guarantee's so you can try them for a few months and send back for a refund if not for you, Divacup actually give you a 12 months money back guarantee period. The average woman uses 12,000-16,000 tampons or pads in a life time, menstrual cups however last for 10 years at a time so save on that waste. Commercial tampons and pads are made from non-organic cotton and rayon (made from 30% of trees forested for the purpose of making these products), also are unnecessarily treated with chemicals and bleach which not only add to pollution from manufacturing but also require additional energy which adds to impact on CO2 emissions.

Menstrual cups have been around since at least the 1930's but haven't been as popular as other options because tampons and pads make stores more profit and are normally made by large companies who have the money for advertising and promotion, but more and more women use menstrual cups now because of all the risks associated with tampons and because they have found that menstrual cups are far more comfortable and convenient than tampons or pads. History of menstrual cups at the museum of menstruation - http://www.mum.org/MenCups.htm

You can get different brands of menstrual cups, some made from rubber and some from silicone, different brands are slightly different in their shape and size, most brands also offer two sizes; one for women who have had birth vaginally and one for women who have not given birth. You can also now get softcups which are the same sort of idea as menstrual cups but disposable, made of polymers and diaphragm-shaped, brand name is Instead - http://www.softcup.com

Menstrual cups not only can be worn for up to 12 hours but can be worn any time of your menstrual cycle including a few days before or after your period to avoid being caught without protection or messing up your underwear. Menstrual cups can be worn at night when you go to bed, which cannot be done with tampons due to additional risk of vaginal splitting. As menstrual cups are reusable it means you don’t have to carry around spares or worry about running out, and as you can use them for any flow it means you don’t have to worry about constantly having to change absorbencies like you do with tampons. Menstrual cups don’t add to bloating or cramping so are great for sports, particularly swimming as they also don’t absorb pool water, don’t leak, can be left in for long periods of time safely, and nothing shows on the outside of your body. Menstrual cups can be worn during s*x so you can carry on having mess-free oral and manual s*x, if you want to have penetrative s*x then you can use a softcup or use a diaphragm as a menstrual cup for mess-free penetrative s*x during your periods.

Menstrual cups aren’t messy at all, a lot of people think or claim they are because they don’t know about menstrual cups and why they are so important as an alternative to tampons, they are scared of the idea so bad mouth it. I found menstrual cups are actually less messy because they don’t leak, you don’t have to mess about like you do with tampons when you have to wrap them up and try to find a bin for them once you’ve used them. All the blood stays inside the cup, you empty it, clean it and re-insert it – normally I empty mine in the shower so that I can clean it too. You rarely have to empty in public but if you do you can just reinsert, wipe with toilet paper or use a bottle of water to quickly clean it before inserting, much less fuss than tampons.

I've used both menstrual cups and softcups, personally I far prefer menstrual cups as softcups can be a little messy and aren't as reliable as menstrual cups. I've been using a Mooncup UK menstrual cup for 5 years now and would never ever go back to using anything else because they have been a life-saver - I used to use tampons and pads which always leaked as I have hypermenorrhea (excessively heavy periods) and had constant infections because of the tampons, my menstrual cup is the only thing that can deal with my hypermenorrhea, they are perfect for heavy bleeding. They are totally convenient too as you can pop them in a few days before your period is due, you never have to worry about changing in public toilets as they can be left in for so long, you can wear them at night which you can't do with tampons, and you don't have to worry about buying more or running out. Softcups I wasn't so keen on, they were sort of messy and like a lot of women I found they leaked as they were too big for me - most women I know try softcups first then switch to menstrual cups.

You can find out more about menstrual cups through the entry on them at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_c... or there is a great online support community which has over 3000 members who use menstrual cups where they ask questions, share information and do reviews of different menstrual cups, their site is full of great information http://www.menstrualcups.org

In my opinion, Faith seems to be a little crazy, and I don't think tampons are as bad as Faith thinks they are, but she did give some links. You may want to look into a ladycup or a divacup. Good luck!

Answer 3

the only way there bad is if you keep it in too long and you get TSS [toxic shock syndrome]

Answer 4

Tampons are safe.  The only complication that's connected with them is TSS, which is rare and when tampons are used correctly, you have safe from.  They do not mess up your flow in any way, and they don't back up your body.  The tampon ABSORBS the blood, it doesn't stop it.  

Answer 5

tampons aren't bad for you. they're the same as pads, but inside your body. they don't mess up your flow, because they're just catching the blood. they aren't stopping/plugging it. they're very easy to use, and nothings wrong with them..! hopefully your mom will let you use them... i don't see why she wouldn't..! no, they aren't bad for you in any way!! the only bad thing is that you can get a really bad infection-- TSS-- but thats ONLY if you leave it in for more than 8 hours! if you don't do that... they're fine!

Answer 6

Tampons are not bad for you.  They are more hygienic and much cleaner.  They do not mess up the flow of your period.  You could get TSS from them ( but it is VERY rare ).  Just tell your mom  you will remove them every 4 hours.  I was afraid of sticking c**p up there but I tried them and will never go back!  It sound like your a mature person ( since your asking and not using them behind her back ) , I bet you can convince her.  Good luck, I hope I helped you.