So, you have never heard of menstrual cups or just don’t like them (or maybe you find them gross!), and you want to use tampons, but you are not sure how to go about it. You may be holding the tampon for the first time in your hand wondering how to insert a tampon.

Well, first of all, tampons – unlike menstrual cups or period cups, are disposable products used to absorb your menstrual flow. They are made of soft cotton pressed together to form a bell-like shape, so that they can be inserted into the opening of the vagina. A tampon absorbs menstrual flow, or blood, before it has a chance to leave the body. Tampons come in various sizes and absorbency and can be purchased at most supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores.

If you are currently using tampons, I urge you to consider switching to reusable menstrual cups.

A menstrual cup offers superior protection, is safe, and ecologically friendly. Most popular brands include Divacup, Mooncup, the Keeper and Lunette. Buy a menstrual cup HERE.

Follow these simple steps to easily insert a tampon.

How to insert a tampon

Inserting a tampon may seem awkward and uncomfortable especially for girls and women who try to use it for the first time. You may a little feel nervous about inserting a tampon for the first time.

If you are learning on your own, follow these instructions to have a positive experience:

1. Select and purchase the correct type type of tampon. Tampons fall in two main categories: by type of applicator and absorbency. Initially you may want to start with the applicator variety, as it is easier to use.

2. Tampons also come in different absorbency levels and you should buy tampons that are appropriate to your menstrual flow: light, average or heavy. Use the super tampons only when your flow is at its heaviest, and purchase a variety pack until you find what works for you.

3. Wash your hands with soap and hot water before and after insertion.

4. Prepare the tampon by removing it from the wrapper. Depending on the type you purchased you may have to extend the applicator for use (follow the instructions on the box).

5. Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Some women prefer to place one leg on the toilet seat or tub, while others prefer to squat down.

6. Hold the tampon with your fingers in the middle of the applicator and the tampon string pointing away from your body. Position the tampon at the entrance to your vagina. You may have to pull back the folds of the labia.

7. Gently slide the applicator a few inches into the vagina (tampon side in), following the angle of your body, until your fingers meet your vagina, and the outer tube is completely inside you.

8. Be sure to relax! The more you relax, the easier the insertion will be. When you are nervous, your muscles tense up, making insertion more difficult. Try different positions until you find one that is easy and comfortable.

9. Push the inner part of the applicator tube into the outer end while holding the outer end still. This pushes the tampon inside your vagina.

10. Be sure that you push it all the way until the applicator stops. If the tampon feels uncomfortable, you may not have inserted it all the way into your vagina and you will need to remove it and try again with a new tampon.

11. Slide the applicator out, while making sure the string is hanging outside the vagina. The string will be used to remove the tampon.

12. Wrap the applicator in toilet paper and throw it in a garbage can. Do not flush it down the toilet!

13. Tampons can be disposed of by throwing them in the garbage or flushing down the toilet. However, flushing Tampax Pearl tampons is not recommended for septic systems.

There you have it! Remember the more you do it, the easier and faster it becomes.

Tips For Using Tampons

• You shouldn’t be able to feel the tampon inside your body. If you can, you may not have inserted it far enough. Remove it and try again with a new tampon. Try inserting the applicator a little further into the vagina before pushing the inner tube of the applicator into the outer tube.
• You may not be successful on the first few tries. Relax and use a new tampon to try again.
• Use a small amount of petroleum jelly if the tampon does not go in easily.
• Tampon packages have directions inside. Read all of the warnings and advice that are located on the tampon instruction sheet.
• Change your tampon every 4-8 hours, or more often, to avoid leakage.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact your doctor or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

Important Warning about Toxic Shock Syndrome and Tampons

Leaving a tampon for more than six hours is not healthy. It can cause a toxic syndrome. Sanitary towels should also be changed regular according to circumstance.

Learn about Toxic Shock Syndrome on the insert that comes with tampons to reduce your risk for contracting this disease.

If you experience the following symptoms while wearing a tampon, remove the tampon, and contact your health care provider immediately! These symptoms may seem similar to the flu. If they occur while you are menstruating and wearing a tampon, they may signal TSS. Otherwise, it might mean that you have another infection. It is recommended that you see your health care provider regardless. Symptoms of TSS include:

• Sudden high fever
• A sunburn-like rash
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness, fainting, or lightheadedness
• Vomiting

Also, read about the menstrual cup, an eco-friendly tampon alternative, as well as instructions how to insert a menstrual cup.

You can buy a period cup online HERE.

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups

Read more about menstrual cup products on my blog.

I really like simplicity, and this is a truly one of the simplest things you can do – while at the same time is one of those things that TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Women’s lifestyles are busier than ever. With demands that may include a job, studies, family and household responsibilities, making some time for yourself every now and then is challenging enough.
The last thing you have time to worry about is the feminine protection and its impact on the environment.

***When you switch to a reusable, earth-friendly menstruation cup, you greatly reduce your ecological footprint on this planet. ***

If you are currently using tampons, I urge you to consider switching to reusable menstrual cups.

A menstrual cup offers superior protection, is safe, and ecologically friendly. Most popular brands include Divacup, Mooncup, the Keeper and Lunette. Buy a menstrual cup HERE.

You can find menstrual cups HERE.

A Moon Cup Makes Your Period Green

By Lec Watkins

Just for the moment, we will forget how much better for you, using a menstrual cup is. We will not mention the reduced risk of thrush, or toxic shock syndrome. We will not even think about how convenient moon cups are, without all those boxes to buy each month, or carrying around spare tampons and towels all week.

For now, we will just think about the really obvious impact menstruating women have on the planet. Well, those women yet to start using mooncups.

The thing is women in the west have enjoyed the luxury of making their periods ‘disappear’ from sight. Unlike women in large parts of the world who have either rags, to be washed and re-used, or literally nothing to absorb their flow, we have been able to use disposable pads and tampons for nearly one hundred years. Lucky us I say. But, though it means our periods have disappeared for us – no messy cloth to wash for example. For the planet, our periods have become all to visible.

Simply looking at the waste from our sanitary protection makes some scary viewing. For example, one of the most common forms of rubbish found on American beaches are tampon applicators from sewage outlets. In fact, the Center for Marine Conservation recorded that over 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along the United States shore in 1998. That is a whole lot of totally unnecessary plastic. All those applicators used once! Surely it is enough to make you want your own menstrual cup?

But, not all western women use applicator tampons, so lets not just blame them. All those used tampons and sanitary pads have to go somewhere too. The waste consultants Franklin Associates found that 6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion pads ended up in landfill or the sewage system just in 1998 in the United States. Am I starting to make you want a menstrual cup yet?

So, we’ve made the beaches very colorful with lots of plastic tubes, and we have filled the sewage treatment and landfill systems with absorbent cotton and rayon. But, we haven’t finished yet! All those boxes, plastic wrappers, and now even individual plastic sheaths from each individual pad! Add all that lot to the 6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion pads and you can see we menstruating women cause a whole heap of waste, period.

To put things on a more personal level. It is estimated that each woman in the United States throws over sixty five pounds of garbage in landfill or the sewage treatment system, just to manage her periods. That is in ten years! When you realize that one menstrual cup should last ten years it really does make a huge difference to the amount of waste we produce.

Changing to the moon cup, or any brand of menstrual cup means you could simply throw away four or five latex or silicon cups in your lifetime of menstruating. That really would make your periods a whole lot more environmentally friendly. See, a moon cup really does make your period green!

For more information on moon cups and a menstrual cup review visit A Self Sufficient Life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

So, what are you waiting for???

Give it a try, and you may never go back to tampons and pads again!

Shop for menstrual cups HERE.

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups

Tampons, like pads, are products used to absorb your menstrual flow. Tampons come in various sizes, which are related to their absorbency ratings and packaging. The outward appearance of a tampon is similar for all brands, but once used some will perform differently to others.

The two main differences are in the way the tampon expands when in use; for example applicator tampons such as Tampax tampons and Natracare tampons will expand lengthways, while OB, Natracare and Lil-lets tampons will expand width-ways. All tampons have a cord for removal and some have an additional outer cover to aid insertion and withdrawal. Some women prefer to use a tampon which is contained within an applicator to further aid insertion.

The majority of tampons sold are made of rayon, or a blend of rayon and cotton. Organic cotton tampons are made from only 100% cotton. Tampons are sold individually wrapped to keep them clean, and because the vagina is not a sterile body-cavity, and for the vast majority of women contains “good bacteria”, there is no need for any menstrual device to be sterilized.

If you are currently using tampons, consider switching to reusable menstrual cups. A menstrual cup offers superior protection, is safe, and ecologically friendly.  Most popular brands include Divacup, Mooncup, the Keeper and Lunette.

Shop for menstrual cups HERE

Tampon applicators may be made of plastic or cardboard, and are similar in design to a syringe. The applicator consists of two tubes an ‘outer’ and ‘inner’. The ‘outer’ tube has a smooth surface to aid insertion and sometimes comes with a rounded end that is petaled.

The tampon itself sits inside the ‘outer’ tube, near the open end. The ‘inner’ tube is encased inside the ‘outer’ tube and held in place by a locking mechanism. The ‘outer’ tube is inserted into the vagina, then the ‘inner’ tube is pushed into the outer tube (typically using a finger) pushing the tampon through and into the vagina.

Digital or non-applicator tampons are tampons sold without applicators; these are simply unwrapped and pushed into the vagina with the fingers.

Tampon Absorbency

2 water drop marks mean that the absorbency is between 6 and 9 grams.Tampons are available in several different absorbency ratings, which are consistent across manufacturers in the U.S.:

Junior absorbency: 6 grams and under
Regular absorbency: 6 to 9 grams
Super absorbency: 9 to 12 grams
Super Plus absorbency 12 to 15 grams
Super Plus Extra absorbency 15 – 18 grams

In the UK absorbency range as follows:

Lite (light flow) 6g and under
regular (light to medium flow) 6-9g
Super (medium to heavy flow) 9-12g
Super plus (heavy flow) 12-15g
Super plus extra (very heavy flow) 15-18g

Brands

Some common tampon brands include:

Kotex
O.B.
Playtex
Tampax
Seventh Generation Inc.
Natracare

In rare cases, using a tampon may lead to toxic shock syndrome, a serious and potentially lethal condition. Be sure to read instructions how to insert a tampon.

Also, read about menstrual cups – eco-friendly tampon alternative, as well as instructions how to insert a menstrual cup.

And shop for menstrual cups HERE

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups

Although there are many reusable menstrual products available on the market today – DivaCup, Mooncup, the Keeper, Lunette, and several other brands – the majority of women still are not even aware that there is an ALTERNATIVE to tampons and sanitary napkins.

I too was in that group, until a couple of years ago, when I learned about menstrual cups. I did not buy one back then (I had other things on my mind – like being pregnant and having a baby), and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I finally made the switch. I bought a Mooncup UK brand (unfortunately, the manufacturer no longer sells cups to the US due to disputes over the trade name with another period cup manufacturer).

Back then, buying menstrual cups online was your only option.  Today, period cups are available in more and more pharmacies and stores.

All I can say is “Wow!”

What a difference a Period Cup makes!

Buy menstrual cups online.

Menstrual Cup - a reusable silicone cup

So, What Exactly Is a Menstrual Cup?

A menstrual cup is form of reusable menstrual protection. It is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluids. Once in place it forms a seal, preventing blood flowing out of the vagina by collecting it in its “cup” shaped reservoir.

Unlike a tampon which absorbs the blood along with the vagina’s natural secretions, a menstrual cup simply holds the fluids until you remove it – so they do not dry out the vagina and do not hold the Toxic Shock Syndrome risk that tampons do.

Most of the period cups, including the Mooncup, Divacup, Lunette, and others, are made from medical grade silicone, is latex-free and contains no dyes, toxins or bleaches. It’s also great for women with sensitive skin.

A menstrual cup is a conical shaped cup made of flexible material, such as rubber or medical grade silicone, which is inserted into the vagina to catch menstrual blood. It is worn lower in the vaginal passage than a tampon and with only a little practice is simple to insert and remove.

Although there is a learning curve, it’s not difficult to learn how to use it. If you’re not too squeamish, you’ll find that it’s extremely empowering to take charge of that aspect of your reproductive health.

With many of us becoming aware of the effects of our lifestyles on the environment, lots of women are choosing to use menstrual cups as an alternative to standard sanitary pads and tampons.

One woman uses up to 22 items of sanitary protection every period. Regardless of your flow, you only need one menstrual cup, and it lasts for years and years, making it the most economical sanitary product for menstruation you can buy. A menstrual cup may be worn up to 12 hours without needing to be emptied and after removing and a quick wash with hot soapy water, it is ready for reuse. In between menstrual periods it is recommended that the cup be sterilized in boiling water.

Do your own calculation…Multiply the number of pads/tampons you use each month by twelve. Then, multiply that figure by 41 years – the average woman’s menstruation span. For example, let’s pick the figure of 4 tampons/pads per day, for 5 days. That’s 20 disposable products per cycle. Twelve cycles per year equals 240 tampons/pads per year. Okay, now if you menstruate for 41 years…that’s close to 10,000 tampons/pads you’ll use in your lifetime! Using a cup eliminates almost all of this waste.

That’s something you can feel good about – even when you’re crampy and grumpy!

10 AMAZING Benefits of Using a Menstrual Period Cup

The benefits of using a reusable menstrual cup are enormous, especially for the environment. Here are 9 of them, in no particular order:

1.  ECO-FRIENDLY. Just consider this: on average, one woman will use over 11,000 tampons or disposable sanitary pads in their lifetime, which will end up in landfill or in the sea.  There is no packaging waste each month and no waste sanitary products thrown into landfill as you simply wash and reuse your cup. And the products used in these cups like silicon are available in plenty, so it does not deplete any resources.

2.  COST EFFECTIVE: Consider the monthly cost of pads and tampons versus the one-time cost of a menstrual cup.

3.  EASY-TO-USE and comfortable, needs emptying only 2-4 times a day. Can be used during the night and during sports activities.

4.  EASY-TO-CLEAN. The lining of the cup is totally smooth and the tab is flat, so cleaning is extremely easy.

5.  SANITARY. Can be sterilized by placing in boiling water for 2-5 minutes.

6.  FITS ALL WOMEN. Available in different sizes and can be used by all menstruating women, with the exception of  post-natal bleeding due to the risk of inflammation.  Can be used before first sexual intercourse and also with an IUD and contraceptive ring.

7.  IMPROVED PERIODS. Many women (including me) find heavy flow and even cramping are reduced when they switch to a menstrual cup.

8.  COMFORTABLE. Once you insert it, you won’t even notice it’s there. They do not make you feel damp or uncomfortable as it is worn within the body. The cups can hold more than tampons and result in less inconvenience.  Plus, it does not dry the vaginal mucus membrane.

9.  SAFE. FDA approved. No outbreaks of vaginal candidasis, cystitis or toxic shock syndrome have been linked to the use of menstrual cups.

10. CONVENIENT during travel. Since you are using the menstrual cup, you just need to carry one single cup rather than going for all the stock of your sanitary pads. This makes traveling more comfortable without any tensions of throwing the waste or washing of the cloth.

In my humble opinion, menstrual cups is the best thing that ever happened to feminine hygiene products. They are comfortable, clean, easy to use, great for any kind of physical activity such as riding a bike, running, swimming, and snowboarding–you’ll completely forget it’s there.

When you do it for the first time, it may take a couple of attempts to insert the cup and then take it out. It may look like a challenge at first. However, once you try it once or twice, it’s really not much more difficult than inserting or removing a tampon. If you are having any difficulty and just don’t seem to get it right, read manufacturers instructions, or ask more experienced users a question at one of the forums.

Give it a try, and you may never go back to tampons and pads again.

Buy a period cup online HERE.

Menstrual Cup - a reusable silicone cup

Menstrual Cup Brand Comparisons

Buy a period cup online HERE.

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups

Read more about menstrual cup products on my blog.

The fact is that toxic shock syndrome is extremely rare, so I don’t want you to be scared when you find yourself during your menstrual period with nothing else to use but tampons.

That is not my point.

But still, the truth remains that TSS happens, and all women should be aware of the risk of using tampons, especially, since there are many safe and convenient alternatives – namely, menstrual cups.

So read the article, and decide for yourself!

And shop for menstrual cups HERE

What Women Need Now!

By C. Manuel Grace

We will begin the the year 1975, though it started eons ago. There were five major tampon manufactures spending millions of dollars on advertising each year. Their key words were comfort and security. Still companies failed to improve on the quality of their product with the old cardboard tampon design, though some offered plastic tube applications as an alternative.

Tampax’s vulnerable point was security. Women could try the utmost care, but there were those humiliating occasions when the old tampon failed to do its job. I have witnessed this event at a clinic when a woman was waiting in line to see a doctor. Blood had seeped through her cotton sweat-pant. A lady mentioned the stain on her garment. The women immediately covered it with her jacket wrapping the sleeves around her waist.

These new products were allowed on the market without any demonstration prior the plastic insert designs or the proof of safe way for either the plastic insert designs or the perfumes.

Let us jump to 1980: The news coverage was horrific, “Teenager dies of tampon use. Details at eleven!” “Toxic Shock Syndrome Survivor tells her story tonight on eyewitness News.” “Centers for disease control warning women to beware of tampons. Stay tune for more!”

Most American women reacted with a sense of helplessness: how could something which had become such an essential part of a women’s life turn out to be potentially deadly. The CDC thought most of the female TSS cases involved super absorbent tampons. By 1994 Toxic Shock Syndrome was an enduring addition to the list of human pathogens, and though it is no longer attracting law suits and front page news, the novel S. Aureus strain was causing nearly as many infections, ailments, and deaths in the 1900s as it had in 1983.

Though tampon boxes were covered with a variety of warnings, menstruating women continued to come down with TSS, practically with those who used super absorbent products. What occurs with the traditional feminine hygiene products?

1) The synthetic materials are known to advance toxic shock Syndrome (TSS) in young femals not having time to develop necessary antibodies.

2) When chlorine is used in the bleaching process it will release dioxin, a carcinogen into a women’s vagina and uterus. These dangers were known years ago. No product since 1980 and before had a standard for absorbency. The TSS symptoms incur a 2-to-3 day period of mild symptoms before the disease develops. These mild symptoms may include low grade fever, chills, muscle aches, rash, redness in the sensitive areas, nausea, abdominal pain, confusion, and low blood pressure just to name a few maladies.

Now men should know why at many times it is difficult to deal with their better significant other. Most TSS cases in the United States are not reported. It could cost the states to report to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention much expense, gathering the data and submitting it to the CDC.

In February, 1999 USA Today article “The CDC estimates that 1300 people get toxic shock syndrome annually. Half are related to tampons; 5% die” This information has been suppressed and not linked directly to their products. Its all about the money. There are only a few independent studies.

One study of two New York University medical center researchers, Dr. Philip Tiemo and Dr.Bruce Hanna, tested tampons. Their 1999 article in E Magazine, “concluded that tampons containing synthetics amplify the production of the TSS — causing toxin by certain strains of bacteria, whereas the all-cotton tampons produced no measurable toxin.” Dr. Tiemo is quoted in the same article saying, “Synthetic tampons absorb more water than [does] cotton, leaving concentrated proteins, that are used by staph bacteria to create the toxin, creating toxin factories.”

Dangers of Dioxin

Dioxin is a term used to describe a group of hundreds of chemicals that surround our environment like smog. Dioxin forms into unintentional by-product of many industrial processes which contain chlorine such as waste incineration. Yes. dioxin can cause cancer. The EPA report confirmed Dioxin as a cancer hazard to people. The International agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) a part of the world Health Organization published their research on dioxins and reported in February 14,1997 dioxin is considered a Group1 carcinogen a “known carcinogen”.

Now there is a product that saves lives. It is from Winalite. It doses all the needed and necessary job to make a women feel safe and secure in any given situation.

Stay tuned to the next installment, “Menstruation is not a Natural Occurrence”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C._Manuel_Grace http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Women-Need-Now!&id=2629559

Read what FDA has to say about that. Whether these allegations about dioxins and TSS are true or not, one way to prevent the occurence of toxic shock syndrome is to STOP USING TAMPONS altogether. Read more about safe, eco-friendly and convenient alternatives to tampons on my Menstrual Period Cup blog.

Shop for menstrual cups HERE.

Top Health Sites

Shop for Menstrual Cups - Eco-Friendly Reusable Silicone Cups