Are tampons safe for teenagers?

Get ready, get set…Luckily, the first menstrual period doesn't sneak up on girls. It starts after a predictable sequence of pubertal events:

Menstrual periods start (On average, between two to three years after breast development starts and six months after the height spurt.)

For most females, the menstrual period lasts three to seven days and occurs every 21 to 45 days. Menstrual fluid contains blood, uterine tissue, mucus and vaginal secretions.  Periods can be light, moderate or heavy in terms of how much fluid comes out of the vagina.

The first two years (or sometimes longer) of menstrual periods may be irregular.  A girl should keep track of her periods and tell her medical provider if they are too painful, too long (more than eight days), too heavy (more than four pads or tampons per hour or clots bigger than a quarter) or too frequent (less than a 21-day cycle). A period may be heavy one month and light or absent the next. Eventually, they become "regular," meaning the same time between cycles and often menstrual cramps develop.

Choosing the right feminine hygiene products: A pad is an absorbent item worn inside the underwear, whereas a tampon is a plug of absorbent material inserted into the vagina. Tampons are especially helpful if the teen swims, plays sports or exercises.  Tampons often have a plastic or cardboard applicator and a connected string (for easy removal). Tampons differ in their absorbency and range from "slender" and "regular" to "super" and "super plus."

"Insert what? Where?!?!" Here are some tips on learning how to insert a tampon:

Tampon myths: Many times teenagers think that they are too young to use tampons. Two of the most common reasons that I hear are:

TSS is no game: The one thing we do worry about with tampon use is TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome), a rare but serious infection caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Most of the early cases of TSS in the 1980s were in menstruating girls and women who used highly absorbent vaginal tampons. However, since manufacturers pulled certain types of tampons off the market, the incidence of toxic shock syndrome related to menstruation has declined. Symptoms of TSS include vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, low blood pressure, a sunburn-like rash, severe muscle aches and confusion.

"So are tampons safe for teenagers?" Yes, as long as they follow these simple rules to prevent TSS:

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