Can you have too 'narrow' vagina for tampons?

Questions and discussion about contraception, safer sex, STIs, sexual healthcare and other sexual health issues.
IAmScared
not a newbie
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2019 12:29 pm
Age: 29
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Location: Croatia

Can you have too 'narrow' vagina for tampons?

Unread post by IAmScared »

Can you?.....I had some horrible experiences with tampons.......also a Q:

does a person can only use tampons when they are heavy or middle bleeding but not for light bleeding?
Karyn
previous staff/volunteer
Posts: 1407
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:00 pm
Age: 39
Awesomeness Quotient: I collect condoms.
Primary language: English
Pronouns: she/her
Sexual identity: queer
Location: Canada

Re: Can you have too 'narrow' vagina for tampons?

Unread post by Karyn »

Vaginas aren't a static size - they can expand and stretch to accommodate things like tampons. So it's not likely that the size of your vagina is an issue. However, if you aren't bleeding much, then tampons can feel pretty uncomfortable; there are smaller tampons made for lighter bleeding but some folks find pads or menstrual cups more comfortable for very light bleeding. Tampons are designed to absorb fluid, and if you aren't bleeding much then they can feel very dry and uncomfortable. They're perfectly fine to use with lighter bleeding, you just want to use one designed for the amount of bleeding that you're having. (So don't use a super-absorbent one on a day when you aren't bleeding much, for example.)

If you're tense or anxious about using tampons, that can cause some discomfort too: it might be that your muscles are tensing and making it difficult to insert a tampon easily. Sometimes the angle can make a difference as well, because the vagina doesn't actually go straight up into the body, it's angled towards the back. So if you're inserting it straight up or trying to, then that can cause some discomfort as well.

It might also be that tampons just aren't the best fit for you right now, and that's okay. Not everyone likes them or finds them comfortable, and you don't have to use them if that's the case.
"Where there is power, there is resistance." -Michel Foucault
Marisha
not a newbie
Posts: 104
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2020 5:30 pm
Age: 25
Awesomeness Quotient: Aspiring sex educator
Primary language: English
Pronouns: she/her
Sexual identity: Bi
Location: USA

Re: Can you have too 'narrow' vagina for tampons?

Unread post by Marisha »

If you prefer tampons over pads and don't like the absorbant-ness of them, I would suggest trying something like a menstrual cup or disk. I use a menstrual disk and I like it much more than tampons. Less discomfort from being dried-out by the absorbency :) You can find reviews on Youtube. Hopefully you can find an affordable option that ships internationally if that's the way you want to go!
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic