Why
do I write about Tampons ?
The desperation to write this blog was,
because of the fact that i am PMSing. Yes, for those who don't know what it is,
then don't google just ask your girlfriend, sister or mom or just read ahead.
Premenstrual Syndrome is PMS. I do not want to write about PMSing, but about
the discomfort during the cycle. The real frustration is not even PMS or the
actual menstrual cycle but, about the lack of awareness about the hygiene and
comforters needed during this time.
I agree we have a better life than our
older generation with respect to the evolution of the human kind, when it comes
to accepting the god given and rather natural phenomenon of bleeding every
month. This period of time is still regarded as taboo in India. I am glad that
our opposite gender is being exposed to it more and more through ads and
general awareness to such an extent that a 5th standard boy asks his mom to get
him some sanitary pads to absorb the spilled ink on his notebook. Nonetheless
bad publicity is also a publicity(trying to see the good side of life).
Coming back to my frustration and
uneasiness with regards to the unawareness and taboo outlook towards sustaining
the difficult days of the month. Just like the sanitary pads have been our good
friends in our bad times, we now have best friends in our bad times and those
are TAMPONS. You probably know, what i am talking about and have an opinion
about it or you are really unaware but inquisitive and still reading on. In any
other case, i am still writing ahead. Like any woman whose is newly introduced
to tampons, i was curious and a bit skeptical about how it works and if it is
safe or not.
How
did I get introduced to Tampons?
I got introduced to them during my stay
in Germany. My open-to-all and ready-to-try-new nature got me a lot of good
friends. When asked about how to use a Tampon, a really close friend of mine
told me about the advantages of using it and gave me 2 to try. So
basically, tampons are rolled and compact sanitary pads. For you to quickly
imagine what they actually look like i would say look at your index finger,
that's how they look like with respect to length and breadth. When it comes to
using it then that is where the whole taboo outlook comes in the scene. Today
if Tampons are used by any percent of the population, then they are only the
educated class. I would rather say, the women who have stayed abroad or have
woman friends staying abroad. This has to change. We need to spread the word as
wide as possible and with no inhibitions. Even now when i write this article,
only a specific group of women are going to read it. If men read it, not all
are going to forward it to their female friends or family. Just like another
zillion topics that we Indians refrain from talking about, periods and tampons
are one of them. I would encourage more and more women to come out and start
talking about it. Let your male child, friends and family know what it is all
about in the sanitray pad advertisements and that it is as natural as the body
itself. These tampons have to be inserted into your vagina with your
(specifically) middle finger so that they go in properly. They have a string
attached at the end from where you insert it in, tug it before inserting just
to be sure that there are strings attached (what a bad movie reference). It is
the most comfortable thing that has happened to woman kind. There are number of
questions i know that you might have while reading this but frankly i am not a
doctor so i can only guide you on why to use it. I have used it for 7-8 times
i.e since 7-8 periods. The very first time i used it i had a problem walking
and felt like i have a stone stuck in my vagina but when i asked my girlfriend
about it she said that i have not inserted it properly and assured me that if
it hurts then it is not properly inserted. So, going by her instructions i
inserted in the tampon and then for the next 4 hours i dint know if i was
bleeding. My periods had never been so comforting. Tampons are a boon to women
and i would say we indian women should surely use it without keeping any taboos
in head or any superstitions in mind. The point of time when i first used
tampons was so vulnerable, as it was my time of the month, alone in the city,
weather was gruesome (European winters are harsh) and i had no one by my side
to just be the way i am. Girls and ladies would know what am i trying to say.
It might sound melodramatic and it probably is but i know the comfort i had
when i used Tampons. I know the carefree me, the confident me and the
no-embarrassment-for-sure attitude i had that day made my day at work pass by
in a jiffy. I remember changing the Tampon once in that day and i was good till
i got home. Using tampons is not losing your virginity(not something that
bothered me ever but still just saying). Please consult a doctor if you doubt.
How to use the
Tampons?
To make you more familiar with these
tampons let me tell you more about my encounter with them. So, when my friend
gave me 2 from her pack they were wrapped in plastic. I wouldn't compare it
with anything food item it looked like, because then you might not like eating
that thing ever again. Anyway, i peeled off the plastic the first couple of
times, later inventing that i just had to twist it and the wrapper comes off.
You can learn from my stupidity and not peel but twist. Another tip would be
that it would be more feasible if you could rest your one leg on some stool or
somewhere or simply squat on the floor while inserting the tampon as it has to
be inserted carefully. There are applicators, that also come with the tampons.
You can use these applicators to insert the Tampon rightly in.
Which Tampons to
use?
There are a lot of videos explaining
how to insert the tampon with or without an applicator. The tampons that i
first used and continue using are the Tampons by OB (a product of Johnson and Johnson).
You get them in Supermarkets and you can also order them online on amazon.in.
Amazon is the only online store that sells it online(for whatever reasons). Try
them and you will know why am i insisting so much and saying, that women have
to evolve when it comes to the "taboo" topic of using tampons during
periods. I regret not having introduced to them earlier, which would have
reduced the days of embarrassment in my life. Now, I do not worry of the times
when i sleep at night or go for a sleepover at a friend's place. I do not worry
of the times when i wear trousers, a dress or anything else. The only thing to
keep in mind is that different Tampons have different sustenance power just
like the sanitary pads. For example, the OB tampons by Johnson and Johnson have
Normal and Super sustenance. You have to decide which one to wear, according to
your flow. The Tampons are usually suggested not to be used more than 4-5
hours, but again depending on how much is your flow and which Tampon are you
using, you can decide when to change. Another important tip would be that if
you know that you might not get a chance to change the Tampon and it might be
just be an over due to use it more than 4 hours, then please wear a panty liner
or a short length sanitary pad, yet again to be safe. I have been
successful in convincing 2 of my close friends to use it. They both do not
regret to have been convinced for this by me. :)
Tampons are a freedom from the tension,
wetness, odour and discomfort of sanitary pads. I am glad i got introduced to
them and I am happily using them (better late than never)
