Pardon the title, but...Fundies and tampons?

[DamnPrecious]

"Didn't believe in tampons"? What does that even mean? Why did he care? Please tell us about this weirdo! :P

Also, since this has turned into general tampon chat, am I the only one who used those OB tampons with no applicators? Now I use Tampax, but I used to like those. I used to not be able to figure out how to get tampons in, and the first time I got some to work, they were OB!

Yes, I swear everytime I go to a certain movie theater I start and those are the ones in the vending machine. UGH NO THANK YOU.

[O Latin]

I just thought of this. Did anyone else go to schools with horribly restrictive bathroom policies? All through elementary school and junior high you generally weren't allowed to leave class to go to the bathroom unless you begged and pleaded and claimed you were about to throw up. You were supposed to go at lunch or at recess/break. I was always paranoid about bleeding through to my clothes because there wasn't a chance to go to the bathroom between lunch and the end of the school day. In high school the time between classes was longer, so you could usually pop into the bathroom between classes if you needed to. I had almost forgotten about that, but just remembering it now makes me anxious. I would literally plan my whole day around going to the bathroom.

[alphaeta08]

I totally know what you mean about planning bathroom visits! In middle school (I got my period between fifth and sixth grade), we had three minute passing periods, so I had to plan down to the minute. We had a luxurious five minutes in high school, so it wasn't so bad, but going to the bathroom definitely wasn't something you did on the spur of the moment! I never remember people asking to go to the bathroom, I guess we just figured we'd be told "no," so we didn't ask.

[Jamanda]

I learnt about periods when I was 8 from Judy Bloom. I remember being horrified that I could have gone my WHOLE LIFE (of 8 years) and not known about periods (I'd known a lot about sex). My mum told me I couldn't use tampons while I was a virgin, she's never used them and I guess assumed I'd have to break some sort of monster of a hymen to get one in. This was in the late 1990's too. Shameful.

[Sunnichick31]

I always use tampons and pads, because I tend to leak a bit from the sides of tampons so it's really hard to go completely padless, and before I was on the pill I enjoyed having an extra hour before I had to change everything. I've always had fancy-schmancy pads available to me, though. :dance:

Same here! I thought I was the only one who used both. I always have used both, especially while I was in middle and high school. It was so nice not having to worry about changing things between the beginning of the school day and lunch, and again between lunch and going home. Much more convinient than trying to convince teachers to let me leave class for a few minutes.

When I first started, mom wouldn't let me use tampons right away. She said I was too young (I was only 11) but after a few months she let me start. Thank God! I HATE feelling like I'm wearing a wet diaper and honestly don't understand why anyone would use pads as anything other than backup.

[readergirl]

I remember those God-awful belt/pad combos. I got my first period back in '69. We were definitely not fundie so Mom's view on tampons had nothing to do with that. But she said "We don't use those." Still have no idea what she meant by that. All I do know is she was a fan of the belt/pad thing. And those pads they made were thick, thick, thick! They made you walk funny. And everyone could see that bloody fashion accessory you were wearing. Disgusting! The options today are so much better.

[PennySycamore]

I used to use OB Ultra absorbency. OB was the only tampon that felt comfortable in my later 30s and in my 40s. I'm also one who had to use both tampons and pads because my periods were so heavy. That all in the past now.

OB wasn't the first tampon without an applicator. Pursettes was an applicator-less tampon back in the 60s or early 70s and I think there was even one in the 40s. There was a disposable menstrual cup (Tassaway) in the mid-late 60s.

I've got some of my mom's old movie magazine from the mid40s. Some of the ads for feminine hygiene products emphasize the products utility for the woman war worker. "I don't want to be an Absentee, but what's a girl to do?" said an ad for Kotex. Women war wokers could get a free booklet "That Day is Here Again" from Kimberley-Clark with tips about sleep, diet, exercise and so on during those "trying days". Kimberley-Clark also had an instruction manual for war plant nurses to make it easy for them to hold menstrual hygiene classes. A few pages earlier that same issue of Movieland (March,1944) had an ad for Tampax "War duties lead many women to use Tampax". "When a woman puts on her slacks to do her work, she discovers more and more reasons for using Tampax as her monthly sanitary protection."

Who else saw the Disney film "The Story of Menstruation" in 4th or 5th grade?

[3 is enough]

I'm guessing that anyone under 50 never had to deal with belts. I had to use them for a couple of years, until the big breakthrough of self-adhesive pads. And yes, the pads were horrible-super thick and uncomfortable. They tried to make the belts more attractive by putting a fine lace trim in colours (pink or blue or yellow) on them. :lol:

I started using tampons when I was around 18, but in my early 20's there was the TSS scare and we were told not to wear them overnight. Oddly, after my first baby I found that I just couldn't wear them anymore- I guess something shifted, and they became too uncomfortable.

I've been done for 4 years now, and certainly don't miss it, although I have heard women say they were sad to be finished with their periods.

[DuckEgg]

Well. All my life my mum was telling me about periods and having sex. ALL THE TIME Every chance she got she would remind me about tampons and males and blah blah. I put it down to being an only child. I guess it was good in the end because I am quite knowledgeable now but then I was really scared. I sort of hoped I would never grow up, So I never had to put anything into myself.

Well I started when I was a mere 10 years of age. Too freaking young in my opinion but shit happens I suppose.

I wasn't even with my mum. I was on vacation with my auntie, A very long plane trip away from the comfort of home.

I had actually woken up with it. Twas quite a shock, so I told my auntie, was scared out of my mind. She cried and asked if I knew everything, I said yes and she handed me pads. I just couldn't do tampons after hearing so many scary stories as a child.

When I finally got home mum never pressured me to use tampons, even though she swore by them. I was about 15 before I was brave enough to actually get one in, and the rest has been smooth sailing. But there was quite a few hours, where I would sit on the loo, and swear and cry to myself, thinking I was a coward for not being able to insert one.

[DamnPrecious]

]Okay, this reminded me of a book I got in our 4th grade puberty class. I used to read this book ALLL the time for years. I was quite upset when i lost it. Well I found it, Growing Up and Liking It: Andrea and Friendshttp://www.mum.org/gulianda.htm I remember this book made me want to get my period sooo bad.

[1004srs]

THe guy who didn't like tampons, said that it wasn't natural to use them. He was a fairly strict Catholic, but not strict enough to avoid premarital sex. I just said that certain thiings weren't up for discussion and that until he had a period he didn't get a comment.

I never understood why Mom didn't just keep a box of pads and tampons under the sink. I started very late, so it was't unexpected. Instead it was a family shopping trip.

Also, I hated having to take your folded up pad and throw it in the kitchen trash. Everyone would be in the kitchen having breakfast you'd have to go straight to the trash can.

IMO, some things just aren't family business.

[garciarodrigez]

Haha. I too got the Growing Up And Liking It video in good old 6th grade. I remember wanting the starter kit of pads and such that was advertised in the handout booklets. Ha-ha. I wanted to be prepared.

I also wanted to mention ob tampons. I was told I had tss in 84 and they were likely the cause. I tried going back to pads but couldn't do it. Used tampax instead after that with no trouble. I also am in the camp of needing both forms of protection. I'm sick of it. Lol. Seriously I'm thinking of looking into the novasure procedure. Anyone know anything about that?

[Cassandra]

THe guy who didn't like tampons, said that it wasn't natural to use them. He was a fairly strict Catholic, but not strict enough to avoid premarital sex. I just said that certain thiings weren't up for discussion and that until he had a period he didn't get a comment.

:lol:

The only 'natural' thing to do would be to wear no padding, and just let it flow down. Was he a fan of menstrual huts by chance? ;)

o/t-ish Does anyone know where I can find stats on how many people have premarital sex? I feel like it has to be high. I literally only know 2 people who are planning to stay virgins until marriage. The majority of my friends who initially stated they were going to remain 'pure' gave up that intention with their first serious relationship.

[Brainsample]

Haha. I too got the Growing Up And Liking It video in good old 6th grade. I remember wanting the starter kit of pads and such that was advertised in the handout booklets. Ha-ha. I wanted to be prepared.

I also wanted to mention ob tampons. I was told I had tss in 84 and they were likely the cause. I tried going back to pads but couldn't do it. Used tampax instead after that with no trouble. I also am in the camp of needing both forms of protection. I'm sick of it. Lol. Seriously I'm thinking of looking into the novasure procedure. Anyone know anything about that?

I used mostly all tampons until I got a bad GI bug (I think from KFC!), and I was so sick, I'd convinced myself that it was Toxic Shock. I went to pads for about five years thereafter. I didn't eat a bite of fried chicken for that long, either.

I think that the tampons made out of rayon (OB and playtex) and not cotton only (tampax) are associated with a higher rate of TSS, but it might be more of an issue of greater absorbancy, too. The more absorbent varieties (super or ultra as opposed to regular) are also associated with greater incidence of TSS, too. So I don't know if it's necessarily the rayon or if it's the fact that you can wear them longer, etc..

I sat in the bathroom on the toilet until my mother came home from work and I asked permission to use her pads. (We didn't talk about matters before or thereafter. I was not crazy about those big mouse mattresses she wore, and they didn't make those nice form-fitted ones at that time. I figured that since I'd been expected to just take what I needed, I started using the few tampons mom kept, too.

I overheard my mother on the phone one Saturday night, expressing her general disdain for my new rite of passage to a girlfriend. I heard her ask her friend if she thought that I'd risked my virginity by using the tampons. I remember breaking into a cold sweat and panic because she didn't know that I'd been officially hymenless since I was in third grade. She never spoke a word to me directly about it. I heard her telling a different woman on the phone that I'd stopped using tampons after getting so sick, too. I had no idea that my use of these products was so fascinating to her or other people. ???? Half made me wonder who else she talked with about my hygeine habits.

[Brainsample]

The subject of homemade "outing flannel" pads came up with my mom when we were discussing cloth diapers and diaper services. I was married by then.

She talked about how gross it was to have to clean and wash and dry the outing flannel pads before they had disposable pads with belts.

[apple1]

I've known people who referred to tampons as 'Tampax', as though that was the universal name. Since I thought Tampax was the more poorly designed out of all the ones available, I found this odd.

They've improved, but in the past their smooth cardboard applicators were difficult/slippery to hold, ahem, especially when fluids were present, making them impossible to grip properly. While other tampons expanded in circumference, Tampax elongated, and flattened almost into a pad, making them uncomfortable and liable to leak.

Totally agree. As I got a little older, and always was "heavy", I became quite the expert on the subject. Eventually, can I say, OB super, backed up by a thin pad?

Hysterectomy was a wonderful thing. :)

[bananacat]

I'm another one who doesn't think pads are uncomfortable. I almost always use pads and I always forget that I am using one, or that I even have my period. Usually I go to the bathroom to pee and then I am reminded that I have my period, and I have to make a second trip to the bathroom with a pad to change it.

I know periods are really bad for some women, but I don't think it's such a big deal for most of us. I can't imagine having to spend days on bed rest or even skipping gym (although I would have loved to). I actually started having periods when I was 10 and I knew it was coming because my pediatrician predicted it. I was terrified and I even begged and pleaded with God, but then I got it and I thought, "This is it?". I leaked once or twice and when I first used tampons it took me a few tries, but overall it wasn't nearly as horrible as everyone made it out to be. Once it became regular and predictable I became even less aware of it. For a long time I assumed that no man would want to have sex while I had my period, but in college I learned that most of them assumed I was the one who wouldn't want to do it during that time. When I'm willing, most of my sexual partners have had no problem doing it during my period, although we modify it to avoid making a mess. At this point in my life, my period has very little effect on my life.

[apple1]

Jeez o pete, we didn't have confidence when using those yucky, bulky pads. They shifted. If we bled a lot, the liquid caused the pad to bunch up in our crotch. If we misjudged how heavily we might bleed and didn't put in that new pad between class periods, it would leak. If we did replace it, that meant we had to carry what felt like a diaper in our pocketbooks. And we had to wrap it around itself, blood and all, and "dispose of properly." Furthermore, when blood isn't contained within the body, it carries a distinct odor, so sitting in class or walking around could be accompanied by its own little aroma.

NO CONFIDENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have described the whole experience exactly as it was. Brings back a whole lot of bad memories.

The only thing I have to add is that ibuprofen (if it did exist at all) was not available. I was in college when a doctor gave me my first prescription for ibuprofen-- even when it became available it required a prescription. I remember curling up in bed at night in a fetal position due to pain (cramps doesn't even fit). You just tried to live through it during the day. Modifying activities was never acceptable at my house.

OMG This thread could be a therapy session.

[Austin]

It's interesting to read about everybody's experiences with the issue of menarche and how their mothers/families handled it and all of the diverse attitudes.

Someone mentioned way upthread that her attitudes, to this day, about the whole subject are affected by her mother attaching shame to the dealio. And conversely, maybe that's why I've just took getting my period and the whole feminine protection thing in stride, because that is what my momma did. I knew all about it (heck, I was almost 15!) and it happened at home for me. I just told momma and she said, "Oh. . . well. . . how about that!" in a pleasant way, as if I told something mildly cheery and that was pretty much the end of it. It was assumed that I would use tampons, although I do remember a box of maxi pads under the bathroom sink. In fact, that same box was still there when we cleaned out the house in 1991 after she died.

I have been lucky never to have had period problems or PMS or anything like that, so combined with that fact and the attitudes at home when I was growing up, I have taken the whole thing in stride my whole life. Now I only have 3-4 periods a year b/c of the contraception I use, so it continues to be almost a non-issue in my life. Thank you, momma (and Seasonale)!

My girlfriend, though, had a tradition in her family that when she told her mother she had gotten in her period, her mother slapped her across the face! Not really in anger, but just some weird tradition, no doubt originating from some patriarchal BS, but her mother had rarely ever hit her and not ever in the face before. She still talks about it. Not in a good way.

This is weird, but when my niece lived with us, she talked constantly about her period, tampons, midol, the whole thing. Sometimes it seeemed like she couldn't have a conversation without bringing menses up in some way, shape, or form. She would have tampons laying on the front seat of her car all of the time, and also was not great about wrapping up used pads and stuff. Now we are not a prudish household, but I have to say, it was freaking weird, and about a month after she moved in, the four men in my house and I were all thinking it was weird. They were not used to a big deal made out of it, as their only exposure to a menstruating woman in the house was me. They knew it happened, they knew what the products I put in the shopping cart were for, but it had never been a topic of conversation before.

Plus, I'm a woman and I don't want to see that yucky thing in the trash, and she shared the main bath with the guys. How hard is it to fold it up and wrap a couple squares of toilet paper around it? Not out of shame, but just discretion and consideration of other people. Weird.

[apple1]

It's interesting to read about everybody's experiences with the issue of menarche and how their mothers/families handled it and all of the diverse attitudes.

Someone mentioned way upthread that her attitudes, to this day, about the whole subject are affected by her mother attaching shame to the dealio. And conversely, maybe that's why I've just took getting my period and the whole feminine protection thing in stride, because that is what my momma did. I knew all about it (heck, I was almost 15!) and it happened at home for me. I just told momma and she said, "Oh. . . well. . . how about that!" in a pleasant way, as if I told something mildly cheery and that was pretty much the end of it. It was assumed that I would use tampons, although I do remember a box of maxi pads under the bathroom sink. In fact, that same box was still there when we cleaned out the house in 1991 after she died.

I have been lucky never to have had period problems or PMS or anything like that, so combined with that fact and the attitudes at home when I was growing up, I have taken the whole thing in stride my whole life. Now I only have 3-4 periods a year b/c of the contraception I use, so it continues to be almost a non-issue in my life. Thank you, momma (and Seasonale)!

My girlfriend, though, had a tradition in her family that when she told her mother she had gotten in her period, her mother slapped her across the face! Not really in anger, but just some weird tradition, no doubt originating from some patriarchal BS, but her mother had rarely ever hit her and not ever in the face before. She still talks about it. Not in a good way.

This is weird, but when my niece lived with us, she talked constantly about her period, tampons, midol, the whole thing. Sometimes it seeemed like she couldn't have a conversation without bringing menses up in some way, shape, or form. She would have tampons laying on the front seat of her car all of the time, and also was not great about wrapping up used pads and stuff. Now we are not a prudish household, but I have to say, it was freaking weird, and about a month after she moved in, the four men in my house and I were all thinking it was weird. They were not used to a big deal made out of it, as their only exposure to a menstruating woman in the house was me. They knew it happened, they knew what the products I put in the shopping cart were for, but it had never been a topic of conversation before.

Plus, I'm a woman and I don't want to see that yucky thing in the trash, and she shared the main bath with the guys. How hard is it to fold it up and wrap a couple squares of toilet paper around it? Not out of shame, but just discretion and consideration of other people. Weird.

For some of us, it had nothing to do with "attaching shame". Some of our bodies just made things more difficult, due to heavy bleeding and pain, without good available management in the form of products and medications. Just biological facts.

And no matter what your mother's attitude, there IS "shame" when you bleed through to your dress at school and everyone points and laughs. Just how it was.

[Guest Anonymous]

Public Service Announcement:

If any of you are in possession of feminine hygiene (sp?) products you do not intend to use, please donate them to the nearest school nurse. One of my best friends teaches middle school and says in disadvantaged neighborhoods having folks who make sure the bathroom is stocked is not a given. :(

/End Public Service Announcement

Personally, I find periods to be a pain in the uterus thanks to endometriosis, but I've already had surgery for it once and don't want to take the pill. So the first two days I go for the ibuprofen and a heating pad. I am getting to the age where it may not be an issue for much longer anyway.

[Annette]

I'm another one that had a terrible time trying to use tampons. For years, I would give it another try from time to time, but it was just too painful to insert. I wasn't able to do it until I was 20. And also sexually active, so that may have had something to do with it. Anyway, it turns out it was nothing to be excited about, because I leak around every brand and absorbency I have tried, so I have to use at least a good thick pantyliner with it. I pretty much just stick to pads.

Re: men and their opinions. My husband, bless his soul, asked me what the difference is between pads and tampons a couple of years ago. He's 29 now.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

In Japan it was traditionally a celebration thing when a girl got her period, so Mom would make a certain celebration food that's "red rice" (sweet sticky rice with red beans in it, the whole thing is rather pink) and have a little party over dinner at home. (It's the same food that's made for graduations and the like too - any celebration.)

Well, by my time this was certainly changing, some people still wanted to do it but generally the kids were MORTIFIED. Particularly if they have siblings! As is it is now, you can find questions on Yahoo Answers about "does ANYONE do that anymore? I would just die!" etc. Ah, the times change. Put me in the "hell no!" camp I think!

As it was, I was late yet for whatever reason we didn't have the paper goods at home (not sure why not) so my mom had to go to the neighbor and borrow some that morning, before going to the drugstore later. Embarrassing enough.

[Austin]

For some of us, it had nothing to do with "attaching shame". Some of our bodies just made things more difficult, due to heavy bleeding and pain, without good available management in the form of products and medications. Just biological facts.

And no matter what your mother's attitude, there IS "shame" when you bleed through to your dress at school and everyone points and laughs. Just how it was.

Uh. . . clearly I didn't express my thoughts well enough. I thought I had called attention to the fact that I was referring to a post that represented one end of the spectrum to me and was upthread. I should have quoted it:

I was a teen in the early 90's and I know that my hard core catholic mom informed me that only sluts used tampons. To this day, even though it's 2011 and I'm quite sexually active, I can't bring myself to use tampons. There is still a part of me that has a hang up. If necessary, I can use them for swimming, but otherwise, there is still a deep seated part of me that feels that it's dirty. I honestly believe that a lot of the issues surrounding pads and tampons depend on how you were raised and how uncomfortable you felt. Pads never seemed too uncomfortable to me, as I've been dealing with them since the 90's and not when there were belts and such, but I was taught from a youngish (12) age that tampons were for sluts and married women.

In no way was I trying to say that all women are ashamed of their periods. Good grief. I was simply pointing out a spectrum of attitudes because I happen to find those sorts of things interesting across age, cultural, religious, and socioeconomical lines - in general.

And I didn't address the leakage issue at all in this post. Of course that's embarrassing, at any age, and I never suggested it wasn't.

[contrary]

lordy, i remember being so confused by the belt in AYTGIMM. i had to ask my mom what it was. (i'm 39, so i came of age after adnesive-backed pads and tampons).

i used tampons from day one. i think i went through a whole box of "juniors" trying to get it right...like, that diagram in the box, where you stand facing the toilet, put one foot on the toilet, and aim for the small of your back? HAHAHA. who DOES that?

i kept trying, walking around, telling my mother i could still feel it, and she'd say if i could feel it, it wasn't in right. i think i even resorted to laying down on the floor and trying to insert it that way.

ha! i must say, though, i'm grateful i was able to figure it out...wearing those big horse pads after childbirth was one of the worst parts for me! blech.