It's not just period ads that make women look ridiculous - I went to the movies tonight and there was a pen ad (yes, a pen) that basically portrayed all women as golddiggers who want a George Clooney/Patrick Dempsey lookalike. Bah!

I agree - when I have my period, I want to hide from the world. I feel bloated, grumpy and crampy. I just wish I didn't feel this way every month!

Oh... my... god. I am in love with this post. I feel like it was something I was always trying to say but you said it--- Gonna have to post a link at my blog now!!!

I always felt like this, except I hated pads equally for their icky feeling. I am now very happy with my menstrual cup, as it is better for me, the environment, my wallet, more pleasurable to use, and has no gag worthy ad campaigns.

While I agree that advertisements for tampons and pads generally suck, there is one good thing I can say for tampons.

When I was younger and still uncomfortable about my genitals, especially when I was menstruating, tampons (I use o.b. so no applicator) allowed me to get comfy with interacting with my own vag.

My period is fucking inconvenient. I get moody, my back hurts, I get cramps, I bleed the Red Sea which lead to stained panties, clothes & bedding. While I don't think there's anything inherently shameful or unnatural about being on my period, I personally don't find it to be a happy time to celebrate my womanhood or whatever. It's a pain in my ass to carry the necessary products, my bleeding is irregular so I inevitably bleed through my products (usually when I'm not home and at least one night in the bed). I don't think my blood is gross, but I don't need it all over my clothes and bedding. Also, cramps suck and make me miserable.

But otherwise, I agree. It just is and we shouldn't be subjected to shame because our bodies do what they're designed to do.

"

missing one is one of the scariest things most women (who aren't trying to have children) can experience

Missing one isn't just scary for women.

She's on time, She's on time
She's on time, She's on time
She's on time, hallelujah
She's on time
And it's the safest time of the
month they say for love

Anyhow, my ex was a big fan of "Instead", I wasn't but I'm grossed out by having them sit on top of the little waste basket next to the toilet (to be fair, milk does gross me out too).

4llison: x2.

My love of my DivaCup cannot be overstated.

I don't know about you, but I frequently find it inconvenient to feel like someone whacked me across the lower back with a two by four.

I am with you on the tampon hate. I can FEEL them inside me all the time. I don't understand how anyone can forget they're there. *shudder*

I got a Diva cup a year ago and the awesomeness of this product can not be over-stated. I used to get yeast infections all the time until I quit using tampons. Menstrual cups are great. You do have to be real comfortable with your vag to use them, though, because they can be difficult to insert. I also quit having as much menstrual pain when I ditched the tampons.

I don't see how you can say that tampons are supposed to make it so that you don't have to face your genitals. Putting in a tampon requires a lot more intimacy with my vagina and menstrual blood than pads do, since you have to actually insert the tampon rather than just putting a pad on your underwear and ripping it off. Plus, there is always the need to go fishing around "down there" for the string.

I fourth (fifth?) the love for the Diva Cup. I was worried it wasn't going to work for me the first month, but now it's great; I feel like it lessens cramps, and I spend fewer days bleeding while I use it. It also gives me a happy sense of self-sufficiency while I'm using it (Sort of like that Onion article: "Woman Empowered by Everything Woman Does")--but seriously, it's great. :)

And for those with killer cramps, I recommend those stick on heating pads and upping your calcium intake. Be good to your bodies!

I'll third, fourth, or whatever it is the menstrual cup recommendation. I find that they don't have that awful I-have-a-large-non-penile-object-in-my-cunt feeling that tampons have -- probably because the cup sits just above the vagina. And because it sits so low, it's way easier to reposition than a tampon, which you just kinda shove in and leave. (Not that I often need to reposition: Usually, if it gets out of whack, it just feels kinda like underwear have ridden up, and squirming around a little fixes it.)

I love the Diva cup so much. My best friend and I presented on alternative menstrual products multiple times. Many women on our college campus switched to the diva cup or sea sponges. We also held "Make your own pad parties."

Also, when you are drunk in the bathroom at bars or parties is a great time to bring it up. I guess you don't have to be drunk, but I always find myself telling other women about it after a beer or two. Perhaps, its because I have to pee every ten minutes...

You know tampons are evil once you learn that they were designed by a man who was inspired by a syringe.

Ditch the disposables!

Great post!

I can't wear tampons because they don't work well with my body.

It is important to mention the cost of the price of tampons, which is a lot! It is very expensive over a lifetime.

I have been wearing washable pads for 10 years.

I recently bought some new washable pads from here...

http://www.gladrags.com/

I also dig the Diva Cup, but I do find I have the check the underside of my toilet seat for splashes. No persons of the toilet-seat lifting persuasion live in my house, but not something I want to share with an unsuspecing guest.

I used a pad during my very first period when I was 12 and absolutely hated it. My second period I started wearing tampons and I never wore another pad. I wear OB, the kind without the applicator (so I can say I'm not uncomfortable with my periods or my body since you have to put them in place with your own finger). They're also really convenient because they're tiny and you can put them anywhere.

I tried the Diva cup with no success at all. I don't have heavy periods, but I couldn't keep the damn thing from leaking everywhere and taking it out was a bigger disaster.

I am disgusted with the whole feminine hygiene marketing mess, but you've got to fucking use something, just do some critical thinking about the messages the media puts across and point it out to your daughters, friends, etc.

I actively dislike the Diva Cup. I tried it several times, and not only was it a mess, but I was always aware of it, no matter where it was positioned.

I can't, in good conscious, use regular pads (how are they any different from the processed bleached cotton most tampons are made out of?), so I use the reusable pads linked to earlier, or applicator free non-bleached tampons.

I love tampons. There are definitely a lot of problems that surround them (advertising, environmental, culture around it), but functionally they are great. I do always want to offer some advice to people who experience pain with tampons (and who don't have a condition that causes it).

1) Avoid tampons that expand lengthwise but not much outward (tampax is the worst offender!)
2) Don't take them out too early. Removing a dry tampon is definitely going to be unpleasant.

Dude, I've been comfortably wearing tampons since I was 12, and I didn't have sex until I was 19. Hate all you want, but I'm pretty sure I too had a hymen. Your argument sounds like my strictly Catholic mother ie "Tampons make you lose your virginity!!!!"

When I first started having periods, it was a disaster. I would leak (in public) all the time and I hated it.

Funny thing is, years later, I actually like having my period. Despite the slight discomfort on my first day when my stomach is bloated, when I'm on my periods I feel like more in touch with the woman in me. My period reminds me that I'm not pregnant, and that is a beautiful thought because that means I still retain some control over my body, though that may change if McCain becomes president.

"And someone, please, tell me why I have to still be sexy, wearing tight pants or short skirts, when I'm on my period. I don't feel sexy on my period."

I think you got onto an interesting note there with this issue of being sexy on your period. It's interesting that, on the one hand, we're generally not taught to talk about our periods, and they're generally thought to be an un-sexy time of the month. However, the advertising companies play on that insecurity by saying that, if you want to feel sexy on your period, this product will accomplish that. They reinforce the awful cultural notions we have of sexiness in relation to menstruation by coming up with a "solution" to those very negative feelings. I don't think the ads are implicitly saying you must be sexy on your period, I think what they tend to veer more towards is that when a woman wants to be sexy, she needs to use the product that is the most discreet. Yeah, tampon commercials are annoying as hell, because they generally reinforce the values we have about our periods: men shouldn't know about them, men don't want to know about them, you need to keep it secret, and if you wanna feel sexy, you gotta keep it under wraps.

I disagree with the analysis of the tampon commercial: you seem to assume that the not-so-skinny, 'bloated' girl is the pad user. I don't think that is true: she is the one using other ways to 'advertise her period' (like the mariachi band and in another commercial the period song or whatever) since she is using these wonderful and discreet tampons - following the logic of the commercial, she would not have to take these measures if she were using pads, since then it would be immediately obvious to her surroundings anyway. I think this changes the atmosphere of the commercial (taking away the contrast between the 'pretty, skinny, well adjusted women' and the 'bloated girl who still uses pads because she's not yet enlightened'.

You do have a point that the basic underlying message of this commercial is that periods should be hidden from your surroundings and that tampons allow you to be sexy while having your period. However, is that specific for tampon-advertising? I am from Holland, so I am really not updated on the commercial culture of the States, but I do not think that pad commercials are that fundamentally different or less offensive than tampon commercials. To me, they also emphasize the 'discreetness' and 'cleanness' of having your period, while we all know that the reality is quite different.. It is ridiculous, of course.

It seems to me that your one-sided frenzy against tampon commercials in particular is based on your own preference for pads and your bad experience with tampons. Personally, I am very enthusiastic about tampons (ob). I do not feel them at all, and they do allow me to dress/behave/feel like 'normal' during my period (whether that is 'just as sexy as normal' as is suggested in the commercial, or just my grumpy old self.

I dislike all ads for menstrual products equally. At least tampons don't use the random blue liquid to demonstrate absorbency.

I have fairly miserable periods as a rule, but they got much less miserable as soon as I learned how to use tampons. Sooooo much more comfortable for me. I think that pads feel like diapers, and they restrict my movement. And yeah, it's really subjective, but I won't fault the tampon ads for saying so.

I roll my eyes during ads for pads, but it's none of my business what anyone but me decides to use. And I get that you dislike tampons, but there is just as much stupid shit coming from their advertisements. At least try to be fair. Your complaint about the "informational model" makes no sense whatsoever.

re: sexiness

My period is often my horniest time of the month, and I find sex a great release for my cramped womanly muscles. Thankfully my partners haven't bought into the ickness thing and are happy to lay out a towel and go to town.

(there is no such thing as TMI in a period thread, right?)

I hate tampons, but I also hate pads because I don't like feeling wet all day.

And this is why I adore my menstrual cup!

Once I figured out how the applicator worked, I never had trouble with tampons (and I agree with Lisa - pulling out a dry tampon is not comfortable). During the first couple years that I had my period (in highschool) when I lived in fear if getting blood stains on the butt of my jeans (it happened once or twice - a horrible thing to live through when you're in highschool), I'd wear a tampon and a big pad. I didn't care about comfort, just wanted to avoid leaks at all costs. And, knowing I was pretty safe from leaks made me feel more comfortable overall.

No matter what they say, I wouldn't sleep with a tampon in. I have an almost religious belief that that is dangerous (it was drummed into me when I was young).

Very interesting post! I'm sorry that tampons cause you so much discomfort, that must have annoyed you for a while. Personally I love using them during my period because they make it far less messy and I'm going to be honest here, the big pads really get on my nerves. They're just bulkier than I want something in my underwear to be.

And god, do I hate my period. Cramps suck.

I am with you on the tampon hate. I can FEEL them inside me all the time. I don't understand how anyone can forget they're there. *shudder*

That's my problem too!!! What i usually end up doing near the end of my period is I use a tampon to "clean up" afterwards. I use pads the rest of the time. Sure they make me feel like wearing a diaper (only if i keep it too long) but at least i don't feel like there is a stick in my vagina (yes, even the small ones feel like that). When I sit it's like the end is poking me all the friggin time. I can't stand it. I keep hearing about menstrual cups but I'm afraid to try them due to its another thing i have to stick in my vagina. I like flexible soft things in my vagina thank you very much. But whatever, it's your ickytime you deal with it how you want to.

RevivingGemma:
I can relate! if I'm out with friends after a few drinks I always wind up chatting about the magic of the diva cup. It's pretty hilarious. Good female bonding times though.

I agree tampons and pads suck. I used to have to wear a pad with my tampon anyway...so the whole thing didn't make sense anyway. This year I got myself a Diva cup after my friend had bought one and recommended it.

It isn't perfect and sometimes if I don't put it in correctly it may leak a bit (though I am a really heavy bleeder..so that's probably why) but I loooove it! To me even though you have to empty it out, I just feel so much cleaner and actually I feel more connected to my Vag than ever...hahaah it sounds corny but it's true. Also it's awesome to know that it's environmentally friendly AND no risk of toxic shock syndrome.

I had the same issue... tampons = more cramps.

I found though that with all-cotton tampons I don't get those cramps. Just have to get the organic ones to make sure there isn't any extra chemicals. While they aren't as absorbent as the 'normal' one, I find they flex more (means it doesn't feel like a stick in the vag). My doctor has also made a point that even though any tampon is required to have the TSS warning on the box, she has never heard of a case where a woman using a cotton tampon has had it.

The only problem I find, is they are a pain to find (I can get them at Trader Joe's here) and I can only every find them in one size (regular).

I hate tampons. I've tried the ob brand, without the applicator, and they were the worst. I could never get them to go in enough and they would leak and feel like hell. I've tried the ones with applicators and it'd be fine if I didn't have to remove the applicator partially to push the damn thing in. Go to "leak and feel like hell." I think I must have an overly small vagina or something. I couldn't imagine using a cup.

Augh, I hate tampons too. I won't even wear thong sandals because I dislike the feeling of that strap between my feet, so having a wad of cotton shoved up my vajayjay all day is out of the question. I also hate pads, though. They always seem to bunch up, making blood leak out the sides. And the wings do nothing but stick to my pubic hair. I ought to look into getting a Diva Cup.

As for the ads. I remember an ad for a brand-new "sport" tampon, that would stay in and protect your panties even if you were doing gymnastics, rock climbing, etc. And my question was, What did you think women were doing with your non-sport tampons? Just sitting in a chair all day, not moving for fear of leaking? Do you think they'd miss the track meet just because they're bleeding? Tampon and other feminine hygiene ads are so totally out of touch with what women actually do and think it's disgusting.

I am completely in love with my pussy right now :)

I used pads as a kid for a while, but then I started using tampons and never looked back. I only use Natracare, which is a brand of tampons that uses organic cotton and they are oxygen bleached, so no nasty chemicals. You can buy them in most health food stores.

I love tampons and can't figure out why women feel them inside. If you push it all the way up you are not supposed to feel it. I've felt tampons a few times in my life, but it was because I didn't insert them all the way, but once I figured it out...fuggetaboutit :) But I guess everyone is built differently and it depends on the brand.

I'd like to try the cup. I really want to know what everyone is raving about :) But pads? NEVER AGAIN.

And the whole thing about feeling sexy? Day 1? I never feel sexy on day one, because I'm in pain. But after that I am my normal self again, and I have to say that tampons really do have a lot to do with that. I hate the commercials, but sometimes they make a good point.

I love this post!!

neither my sister or I was ever comfortable with tampons, we think we might be shaped differenly or something.

ten years ago I started using glad rags and I love love them! recenlty I've started making my own rags.

I tried the diva cup, but it didn't work out from me. (sad) but that's ok, in the end I kinda like bleeding ON something. call me werid, but that's ok.

to all the comments about the suckyness of staining underwear:

i recently went shopping with a friend of mine, and noticed that she was buying about 20 different pairs of black underwear. she explained to me her (genius) plan of wearing only black undies while she has her period, thus alleviating the fear of spotting because it would be virtually invisible. it was such a simple solution that i wondered why i never thought of it. it's worked great for me and will probably save me hundreds on new underwear over my reproductive lifetime.

I use a diva cup, not because I hate tampons. Mostly because it's cheaper and better for the Earth. Although I use pads too when it's really heavy because of the spotting, but the black undies thing is genius!

I've never felt like I had a stick up me while wearing a tampon. I think if you do, you're not inserting it up far enough...

I just can't get behind the whole "moon time", "my period is awesome" thing. I have no problem telling people about it and I don't think it should be some sort of government secret but, it's inconvenient and annoying, and no amount of "look at my powerful and awesome vagina" talk is going to change that. Having to cut my toe nails is annoying, and so is my period.

Actually, my favorite thing about my diva cup is that you don't have to lug around a suitcase full of "supplies" everywhere you go. If it's already in you have everything you need.

Actually, my favorite thing about my diva cup is that you don't have to lug around a suitcase full of "supplies" everywhere you go. If it's already in you have everything you need. Although I do always feel bad when I can't help out a girl who needs a tampon/pad.

I could always feel tampons, hated pads, and had really bad cramps. My solution was to go on depo. I love it. It's not for everyone, but it's something to consider.

I must be one of the lucky ones because I don't mind my periods AT ALL. They aren't very heavy and I can use pads every month and be perfectly comfortable. I wouldn't mind trying a Diva Cup, but I absolutely will NOT use tampons, I hate them. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who hates tampons, I don't know any other women who don't just love them. Thanks for the post!

but I also hate pads because I don't like feeling wet all day.

This! I've yet to meet a pad so absorbent that I can't tell when I'm sitting in blood. Bleeeeah. I keep meaning to try a cup, but I haven't gotten around to it.

My last word on the entire menstrual process: If God(dess) were an engineer, (s)he would have been shitcanned about several eons ago for this half-assed design. There's got to be another way -- and not one that involves pumping onesself full of synthetic hormone, either.

Unbelievable.

I've tried tampons twice in my life, weirdest thing ever. I don't think I'll ever wear a tampon unless I wanted to swim. Other than that, I'm a definite pad girl. Your blog: brilliant, Thank You

Pads do feel like diapers to me. The wider ones chafe my thighs and the narrower ones leak. The rustling sound isn't audible through pants, but if I'm just chilling pants-less in my apartment with my boyfriend, I do rustle when I walk around, and I totally feel like an infant in a diaper.

Like others in this thread, I am all about the Diva Cup and can't recommend it enough.

I've stopped my periods by continuous birth control, but when I had them I found tampons to be the least annoying. I even tried the diva cup, but no matter how I put it in or how much I twisted it to make sure it was loose, it would form a vacuum-tight seal around my cervix that made it very painful to remove. It also was more noticeable to me than tampons, and it didn't do a damn thing to decrease the cramps. Nothing does, really, which is why I use continuous birth control.

Ever since I got my period at the ripe old age of 16 (I know, I was a late bloomer) I always used pads without a second thought. I was raised in a household with a mother who always used pads and two sisters who did the same. We were never introduced to any other method.
To provide some background I have always suffered from horrible periods; bloating, needing prescription pain meds for the cramps, heavy bleeding, etc. I always thought that I would hate my periods with a vengence for the rest of my reproductive years because wearing pads always seemed to make that time of the month worse. I hated how I felt like I was wearing a diaper, the pads would move, the blood on the pad would get all over my vulva and make a mess, the smell was so obvious, wearing a pad to bed would cause me to wake up the next morning with blood on the sheets, my underwear, and my lower backside.
Trust me, I have NO problem with my own bodily fluids or touching my body, I was just tired of dealing with blood that I felt shouldn't have been all over the place.
Then my younger sister decided to bring home a box of tampons and try them out for herself. One night I finally got up the courage a couple of months ago (mind you I'm 25) to try one out and my god, the menstrual heavens opened up!
I no longer had to worry about leaks (unless I kept my regular tampon in too long on my heavy days; and then just used a pantyliner as a backup). Going to bed at night I could just wear my underwear with no padding, no blood odor whenever I wore a skirt or uncrossed my legs, no mess on my vulva, etc.
I think it all depends on the woman who is using whatever product. Most doctors would say that if you can feel a tampon then it's not in properly; but if someone still feels uncomfortable with it inside them then whatever, take it out by all means. Everyone has different experiences with different methods, which of course, will shape their opinions.
The only problem I have with this blog is that no matter what is said it still sounds like those women that are using tampons and having a grand 'ol time with them are being put down. I don't think that we should look down or question other women for what method works for them just because we disagree with it or because it hasn't worked for us.

Ever since I got my period at the ripe old age of 16 (I know, I was a late bloomer) I always used pads without a second thought. I was raised in a household with a mother who always used pads and two sisters who did the same. We were never introduced to any other method.

To provide some background I have always suffered from horrible periods; bloating, needing prescription pain meds for the cramps, heavy bleeding, etc. I always thought that I would hate my periods with a vengence for the rest of my reproductive years because wearing pads always seemed to make that time of the month worse. I hated how I felt like I was wearing a diaper, the pads would move, the blood on the pad would get all over my vulva and make a mess, the smell was so obvious, wearing a pad to bed would cause me to wake up the next morning with blood on the sheets, my underwear, and my lower backside.
Trust me, I have NO problem with my own bodily fluids or touching my body, I was just tired of dealing with blood that I felt shouldn't have been all over the place.

Then my younger sister decided to bring home a box of tampons and try them out for herself. One night I finally got up the courage a couple of months ago (mind you I'm 25) to try one out and my god, the menstrual heavens opened up!

I no longer had to worry about leaks (unless I kept my regular tampon in too long on my heavy days; and then just used a pantyliner as a backup). Going to bed at night I could just wear my underwear with no padding, no blood odor whenever I wore a skirt or uncrossed my legs, no mess on my vulva, etc.

I think it all depends on the woman who is using whatever product. Most doctors would say that if you can feel a tampon then it's not in properly; but if someone still feels uncomfortable with it inside them then whatever, take it out by all means. Everyone has different experiences with different methods, which of course, will shape their opinions.

The only problem I have with this blog is that no matter what is said it still sounds like those women that are using tampons and having a grand 'ol time with them are being put down. I don't think that we should look down or question other women for what method works for them just because we disagree with it or because it hasn't worked for us.

Hmm. I didn't use tampons 'til I was a bit older - maybe 21-ish. But they never hurt. After all the frickin' messes I've made and had to wash out in my underwear because I hate wearing bulky pads and so usually choose pads that are too small and light, I've come to rather like tampons.

Zoe, I've tried the black underwear thing and it doesn't work for me. I get the opposite of stains; my menstrual blood apparently has a magical ability to take the color out of even the most color-fast clothing, so I have tons of underwear with white-ish streaks in them.

Wicked Mistress, I agree, it does sound like we're being judged for liking tampons.

I agree with you on the crappiness of tampon commercials. I really love the Always commercials that end with "Have a Happy Period!" Fuck you, Always! I don't want to have a Happy Period. There are days when I want to find the idiot that wrote that tag line, and all of the people who approved it and slap them all. Seriously, a happy period?

I'm not a terribly organized person, so I'd always forget to buy menstrual products in between periods, and forget to put more in my purse when I had them. Also, the extra expense is annoying -- like a tax on being female. So yeah, reusables are awesome. Still, everyone's body is different, and there's no one thing that will work for everybody.

Oh, and CrankyCat? The DivaCup/MoonCup is a soft, flexible thing. It's silicone. :)

LOL. I've also always found it so infantilizing that the pad is ALWAYS ALWAYS compared to a "diaper," like we're supposed to feel like loser babies while our bodies are doing their womanly things. Like ... fuck you. As though there's no room for any kind of padding in one's underwear unless it's called a "diaper." I think men wearing jock straps are more ridiculous than I am wearing a pad. I'm sure no one asks men how ridiculous and babyish they feel while they're busy doing important things like playing sports in their jock straps, or offers them slimming invisible jock straps so the girls won't laugh at them.

I've also never been grossed out by period blood and it seems so immature to me when others are, though I know tons of adults who are, including, unfortunately, my boyfriend. But I'm also a dancer - modern, not ballet - and so went through college learning to listen to and love my body, and its nakedness and even its functions. American society is really very body-phobic in general, not just about women's bodies, but bodies and natural functions (e.g., breastfeeding) in general. Some theorists have argued it's the Christian influence. I suppose it perhaps related to whatever makes us such a violent society, always clamoring to destroy someone's body, or even our own.

And part of the reason I still only rarely wear tampons is that I'm afraid of toxic shock syndrome and/or bacteria. I realize it's not such a big deal as long as you don't wear your tampon for like 12 hours at a time. But it's still creepy.

I used to love tampons- couldn't feel them, less bulk to carry, etc. I used O.B., but honestly that was mostly because it was what my mother had when I first got my period. But it was at least a year after I first started getting periods before I started really using tampons. I don't remember ever having a hymen. I didn't understand people who said they could feel tampons all the time, I thought they just weren't putting them in right. But ever since I had my son, I have the same problem. My vag got shorter from the baby trauma, which my doc said was fairly common. Now my periods are really light because I have Mirena (IUC), but I'm pretty much stuck with pads.

Other random fact: I totally have felt, at times, that thick pads feel like diapers. It's not as much of an issue now that they make the ultra thin ones, but I remember some times in junior high when I was very uncomfortable trying to sit just so without all the bulk poking into my labia and clit. But my best friend is the total opposite, and says she's weirded out by ultra thin pads because they feel like they aren't there, so she feels unprotected and specifically buys pads for their bulk.

My overall conclusion is that I'm glad there are plenty of options out there for all of us.

"As though there's no room for any kind of padding in one's underwear unless it's called a "diaper." I think men wearing jock straps are more ridiculous than I am wearing a pad."

I'm not sure about the others who have called it a diaper, but I personally feel like my pad is a 'diaper' sometimes due to the wetness, not the bulkiness (Always ultra-thin aren't very bulky). When my flow is heavy, I can feel my pad getting wetter, and if it's hot outside it's even worse. I don't wear tampons at night (due to fear of TSS) but sometimes I'll go to the bathroom at like 5am and put one in, just to get a couple hours of dry-feeling. Pads are similar to diapers in that they are supposed to catch fluids, unlike jock straps.

I am joining the "love Diva Cup" camp.

Before that, I used tampons religiously, except when I go to sleep (also had the TSS thing drilled into me). I was generally okay with them, unless I put them in incorrectly.

I just leak a lot, and I always feel like I've wet my pants when I wear a pad, so I *hate* wearing back-up.

Haven't needed to yet with Diva Cup though. I just hate taking it out because I have a bad habit of splashing/spilling on the floor (cue scouring the floor before my roommate wakes up).

I'm really not a huge fan of any of the feminine hygiene methods. I'm going for the birth control and no more periods route. No more debilitating cramps for me.

I have to disagree, for me, at least. I've tried pads once or twice, but they do feel like a diaper. When I got my period (I think I was 12 or 13) I walked up to my mother, told her I needed tampons, and walked away.

I figured out how to do it myself, and you know what? The first time, it hurt. I didn't break my hymen, it was just really uncomfortable the whole time I wore it. Turns out, it was because I didn't push it in far enough. The vagina is actually a pretty roomy (not to mention stretchy) place--I could be wrong, but I think everyone has room for a slender tampon. You just have to push it far enough so that the bulk of the tampon is deep inside of you and the only thing you can see or feel is string. (Sorry for the lecture, but quite a few of my friends have avoided tampons for years because of this very issue, and now they love them.)

Anyway... I adore tampons. Like, I really, really love them. I can put one in, pop an ibuprofen (or a Vicodin if it's really bad--though, for the record, tampons actually seem to ease my cramps) and completely forget about my period for 8 hours. I can do almost anything with them. I don't have an issue with bodily fluids, but I also don't appreciate when a sticky, uncomfortable substance is smeared all over my labia for hours on end, which tends to happen with pads. Maybe this isn't too feminist of me, but I don't regard my period as a blessing or a miracle or whatever, I see it as an occasional expulsion of excess uterine tissue, no more magical than a runny nose. I don't want to celebrate it, I want to get it over with. Tampons let me do that.

An added benefit is that you can flush (some) tampons. My plumbing is fairly dependable and my tampons have cardboard applicators, so I don't have to throw away cotton that's soaked with my bodily fluids in the waste bin. I can flush it like I'd flush toilet paper. I can't even imagine throwing away a pad, especially if you share a trash bin.

I realize I'm not going to convince people who've really already made up their minds otherwise, but anyone who's used pads their whole lives, I really encourage you to give tampons a try. It just makes the entire ordeal easier for me and I hope it can do the same for you.

Although, I must admit, I've been considering a menstrual cup for a while now, if only for the sustainability factor. But when it comes to pads vs. tampons, I'll take the tampons every time.

P.S. I hate some of the Tampax commercials as well. However, they do make a good product. (Though I've never tried the other brands.)

I think there are two separate issues in the above post.

1. The way feminine hygiene products are advertised to women.
2. The personal preferences women have in using particular products when menstruating.

I am not American so have never seen the featured ad before, but it seemed so "over the top" that it might be a take-off of tampon ads! What I find interesting is that the voice-over is male. Do we need paternalistic instructions on being discrete with our periods and not "offending" others by allowing them to know when we have one? In my country, the voice over is usually young and female, talking about the product's ease of use, its role in allowing you to "get on with your life", and yes, the discretion it affords the user in not allowing others to know. This applies to whether the product being advertised is tampons or pads. I can think of one ad which features a male, and when the female actor asks him to pass her a box of tampons, he's made to look like an ignorant, embarrassed fool, while she's very matter of fact. Other ads just feature males as extras, for example on the beach, so that girls having their period can continue to swim and wear their bikinis by using the advertised product, while the males remain oblivious to the fact that they have their period. But the ads for pads follow the same lines. The pads are always, slimmer, thinner, more discrete and more absorbent. One ad features a girl's rear end in a tight pair of jeans walking away from the camera. Can the viewer detect her pad??? Tampon and pad ads use exactly the same hype.

The product/s a woman chooses to use when she has a period is very much a matter of personal choice and what works best for her body and lifestyle. If the poster of the original article finds tampons are not for her, that's fine, but it is not helpful to demonize a product (note title of article: "Tampons: the root of all evil") which millions of women actively choose to use. She even states that she thinks they are evil, but tones that down by saying that you're not if you use them.

My Mum was also of the school of thought that I was too young to use tampons when I was in my teens, so used pads right through most of secondary school, which I found uncomfortable and very often inadequate with the ever-present fear of leakage. A friend at school introduced me to tampons and I never looked back! Here was a product of which I was hardly aware when using unlike the pad, I felt more confident engaging in physical activity, and worn with a pantie-liner, the threat of leakage or staining was eliminated. I felt like the product was a blessing, and certainly not evil!

The advertising of feminine hygiene products OF ALL TYPES does raise questions about attitudes to menstruation, but if one takes offence at the way a particular product is advertised, that does not necessarily mean that the product is not useful or the right choice for certain women. The author states that one of the reasons she feels tampons are so popular is the "gross out factor", asserting that we are not comfortable with our own menstrual blood. She then reels in again at the end and says that we should treat our periods however we want.

I agree with Wicked Mistress as well that the tone of the article, in being so anti-tampon, does in fact put down women who find tampons the best product for them when having a period. Women should feel free to use whatever product or combination of products that suit them best, without being made to feel that they are unthinking victims of advertising campaigns. And like I have said, the ads for pads carry all the same messages as the ads for tampons, but we still get periods and need to use some type of product. Each to their own on this one...

What are these commercials supposed to be like, exactly? "TAMPONS: Stick these in your vagina, because we can't send you to a special hut to bleed for five days anymore. You're a modern woman and you have stuff to do!" ??

I use tampons because my period isn't exactly predictable, and I don't like having to make frequent visits to the bathroom. Well. . .funnily enough, I do have some predictability. The thing fakes me out around day four. I'll be dry for a good eight hours, then--OOPS WE FORGOT TO ACTUALLY GET RID OF THE LINING, THIS WAS ALL JUST BLOOD, TEEHEE. Disgusting. This is why I wear tampons -and- pads. Ultra-thins, though. Maxis feel like diapers, since they get all gross and chafe and all.

I'm not ashamed of my period, since it's natural and everything, but I definitely am not a fan. It's like being sick for five days (or a week, if you want to count PMS symptoms) a month. I feel drained, achy, I'm bleeding, my stomach becomes a bottomless pit, I get depressed. . .there's nothing magical about it. I think sometimes my breasts seem perkier during my period. That's it. I'm not sexually active (and really, don't plan on being), so I don't need "reassurance", unless I'm going to be giving birth to the new Messiah.

I'm passingly interested in the cup but, considering my clumsiness, it would probably result in more ruined pairs of underwear and pants than I'm prepared to deal with.

I'm surprised to see that so many women here dislike tampons and actually use pads. As someone who's always used tampons, I've somehow internalized a stereotyped image of pad users involving young Catholic ladies concerned about tampons stealing their virginity. Also, every woman with whom I've talked frankly about menstruation has either always used tampons or has tried pads and harbors a deep-seated hatred for these "diapers" as a result.

I think we need to stop hating on menstrual products themselves and save the hate for the corporations that try to sell them to us. I use unbleached biodegrading cotton tampons (tampons actually *help* my cramps somehow) and occasionally use a cup, but it's not as comfy (though it is so cool to hold this little cup of your blood in your hand every time you go to pee.)

In reading the above article, I don't see what specifically is so evil about tampons themselves, beyond how the author has had bad times with them personally. So, yeah, don't throw around the phrase "root of all evil" lightly!

I happily use the root of all evil. First, I almost don't bleed at all and second, my period comes randomly so I always have some tampons at the bottom of my bag (much more convenient than having pads around).

Actually I toyed with the idea that with the decreasing intensity and incidence, I'll be period-free before I'm 30 - I'll see. Too bad that the sickness doesn't go away - it improved from killing migraine-type thing happening only in my back, not in my head to something passable and I'm only too happy that I do not need to spend three days in a darkened room with opiates at hand - no more conventional painkiller would work, then. So, I also feel like torturing slowly any moron who thinks that the best pastime for menstruating girls is to go dancing or climbing. Grrrr.

I used to be a pads fan. Tampons made me uncomfortable, and I hated the applicator (why use some cardboard contraption if you have fingers?)

Now, three children later, I am a big fan of the diva cup. It is not enough on the first two days (I need to empty it every three hours and add a security pad) but I've finally stopped staining the bedclothes.

When, in a few years, it's my daughter's turn, I will teach her about all the available methods; first and foremost, that it's her body and her choice. And that there's nothing to be disgusted about.

About the hymen issue: I think not all hymens were created equal. Mine seems to have been very small indeed.

I agree tampons are evil I think I'm allergic to them, because I tried it once and it felt like it stopped my blodd from flowing and I fainted. It was the worst feeling ever! Tampons go to hell!!!!!!!!!

It is possible to use a tampon with an intact hymen. I did. The problem probably was just inexperience. I was uncomfortable with a tampon the first time because I didn't put it in far enough. That may have been the problem. Also, you may be allergic. I really don't think that it's fair to call them evil and imply they are sexist because you had a bad experience. If a person is not allergic, then they ARE more comfortable than pads. You ARE less likely to get leaks. Take it from me - I used pads for the first 5 or so years, then never went back. I know what it's like to use both. But... you (seem to be) allergic to tampons, so they are evil and sexist? You've lost a reader.

Oh, and by the way, I had worn pads for years and it DOES feel like a diaper. Maybe you are just lucky enough to have light or slow flows that you could wear the thinnest ones. I think they feel like diapers, and that does NOT make me evil and anti-feminist. Again, you've lost a reader with this nonsense.

To the commenter above, every women has a different experience. She is just telling hers.
I think tampons are evil..you dont, I respect your opinion. So why not respect others opinion?

I've never been able to wear tampons because of the pain, so I just stick to pads. I dont mind b/c my birth control allows me to have my period for 3 days, if that. And Ive been on birth control since I was 15 for extremely heavy periods.
Ever since I've HAD my period my girlfriends gave me shit for it saying stuff like "You still cant wear a tampon? Whats wrong with you?!"

It was too painful and uncomfortable for me,
some got over the pain and uncomfortableness and some dont even notice it.

Diva cup. Oh man. So good.

If you find the cup uncomfortable, I suggest cutting off the tab.

If you are even remotely interested in the cup, you owe it to yourself to at least try it. You can find them online for as little as $20. You'd spend that on one night out drinking, or a nice dinner. And this will last you years!

I'm also all about hand made reusable pads! So comfortable!

Actually.. tampons are good for something..

I present to you, my Muppet Tampons!!

http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/188/64/6839037/n6839037_46156992_7992.jpg

the root of all evil would more likely be, not having the choice of tampons, for many of us.

ever try performing trapeze with a pad instead of a tampon? How bout a cup while performing Aerial / tissu' ?
How bout being an athlete?

I'm grateful for tampons. I use the slender ones when I can benefit from a tampon more than a cup or pad. If I am not being physically active during menses, I don't use tampons. I save my blood and add it to the water for my plants.
I'm grateful to open my drawer in the bathroom and see my choices.

I used pads up until the day my period coincided with a dance concert I was performing in. Pads were simply not going to happen while I was in a leotard/unitard/whatever else I was wearing that year. I've never looked back.

In regards to the other issue that was brought up re: being sexy on one's period, I have a rather different interpretation. When I'm on my period, I don't want to be constantly reminded that I'm on my period. If I can use any product, be it a tampon, or ibuprofen, that will decrease the constant feeling of crappiness during my period, I will consume that product full-force. I want to be able to do things when I'm on my period that I could do when I'm off my period; sometimes these things involve going out at night with my friends, or having intimate time with my boyfriend. Tampons DO make me feel less inhibited when I'm on my period, as I'm more confident that leaks won't happen/less preoccupied with the feel of the product when I'm using tampons. As we all know, confidence is sexy. That's all that means to me - if I can manage to be happy and confident on my period by whatever means, that's a personal victory that can make me feel sexy. Not in a "let's go impress some MEN!" kind of way, just in a "this isn't going to control my life" kind of way.

Also, I have to disagree with the interpretation of the commercial featuring the father buying tampons for his daughter, as if she's confined to the hut at home. I've sent both my boyfriend and my dad at times to get my tampons simply because I had other shit to do. My father has been doing it for my mother for years because he does his share of the weekly shopping, but I can imagine the first time I had my boyfriend do it, it was every bit as awkward as portrayed in some parts of the commercial. He was not my "Knight in Shining Armor"; he was simply already going to Ralph's, and I was headed elsewhere that day.

I have to stand up for tampons here. I got my period when I was ten, while at Girl Scout Camp, and pads made me miserable for the next two years or so because I couldn't swim, messed up all my underwear, and was grossed out by the idea of sitting in my own blood. I'm not easily grossed out (I used to teach second grade and cleaned up accidents on a regular basis) and I know menstrual blood is no grosser than regular blood but...is regular blood really that pleasant either? It doesn't bother me that my body produces blood, among other fluids, but that doesn't mean I need to sit in them all day long.

So anyway, I taught myself to use tampons at 12 and literally have not used a pad since. I didn't have sex until I was 23, so I definitely don't think there is any connection between virginity and tampon comfort. I used super absorbency tampons for years even when I had no sexual experience whatsoever. I wear them for fairly lengthy periods of time (i.e., overnight) and have yet to develop any diseases. Quite frankly that's one of the reasons why I love them, because I like to sleep naked, and with a super absorbency put in right before bed, I can.

As for the ads...there's alot of dumb advertising out there in general, and most feminine product advertising is pretty dumb. But I don't think you can say that tampon ads are any dumber than pad ads. I think they're at least on par with one another. Always and their "have a happy period" campaign is by far the worst. And how about the "with wings" technology featuring happy butterflies? Really? And the blue water demonstrations of absorbency? I think these demonstrations show that it's not only tampon producers or users that are uncomfortable with the idea of blood.

At any rate, thanks to the combination of Tampax and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, I really don't mind my period at all. I mean I'd always prefer not to have it, but it doesn't bother me or disrupt my routine. That's why I think these products are positive for women, or at least for me. There's nothing I hate more than comments from men about how periods turn women into bitchy and irrational people. I always say that, actually, mine does not do that at all. If it takes a wad of cotton and a dose of hormones to do that, then so be it.

I feel bad about hating on the DivaCup because I know how much better it is for my wallet/the world but I cannot stand it. I bought one, tried to insert it and felt like my insides were being crushed and ripped up. I almost threw up and had it to get it out of me before I fainted. Does anyone know if they plan on making a smaller-size DivaCup?

Our vaginas all have different histories and we should let them choose their favorite period-collectors!

Well, I guess the lesson of this post and comments is that everyone is different. :) I happen to be a dedicated ob user. I tried the Instead cups several times and found them uncomfortable and leak prone (usually when I'd change positions, and it would all flood out at once, argh.)

I don't watch tv, so I haven't seen a tampon/pad commercial in years. Sounds like I'm not missing anything.

I have a major blood phobia, in that ANY kind of blood seriously squicks me out. I mean, I actually fainted when a lamp fell on my head, and I saw how badly my head was bleeding. That being said, I cannot wear pads because I can't STAND seeing all the blood, and sitting in it.

I tried using the Diva Cup, but I couldn't even get the damn thing in! Every time I tried to fold it up so I could insert it, trying to keep it folded actually made my fingers hurt, and even when folded, it was STILL too wide for me to insert it. It was just way too painful, so I threw it away. Apparently my vagina is too small for it, which...that's probably the first time I've EVER said that a part of my body was TOO small.

Tampons aren't good for the environment, and sometimes they give me yeast infections, but for right now, they are the lesser of the three evils, and so that's what I use.

Back when I was in high school, the common advice was not to wear a tampon for more than 4-6 hours at a stretch. Since there wasn't enough time between classes to take a decent bathroom break, I wore pads because I was thinking, "OMG, if I wear a tampon for one minute past 6 hours, I will get TSS and DIE!"

So I sat around in a wet, sticky, saturated 'overnight' extra-thick pad All. Damn. Day. (The ultra-thins hadn't been invented yet). Then I'd get home from school, insert a tampon, and feel sooooo much better. No wetness. No bulk between my legs. No blood smearing all over my vulva, my underwear, and (sometimes) the inside of my jeans.

Then nighttime would come and I'd 'have to' wear a pad overnight because of the TSS hysteria, since I was afraid I might sleep for more than 6 hours at a stretch. Predictably, I'd wake up with blood all over me and the sheets for each of the first four or five days (pre-Pill, I had very heavy, very crampy periods).

Then I got to college, and a classmate informed me, correctly, that I had a greater chance of being hit by lightening than I did of getting TSS. Also, the tampon companies started citing 8 hours as the maximum recommended amount of time to keep one in, so I could sleep through the night without fear whether or not it was my destiny to get zapped.

And, dare I say it, my life changed. I haven't used a pad since (it's been 15 years). Tampons just work for me. I don't think they are the root of all evil (nor do I think this about pads or the cup or whatever); they are just my preference. I find them comfortable and convenient. And since finding out that my TSS worries were unfounded, I use them entirely without fear.

This post seems ridiculously judgmental.

I was forced, by my mother, to use pads for two years. I hated them. I lost nights of sleep because I could *feel* the wetness and leakage, and would keep getting up to wipe or change. I had mattress stains, pants stains, underwear stains... you name it, blood ruined it. Nighttime pads? Didn't make a difference. Same result. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without worrying about leaking or smelling. I absolutely despised how public and indiscreet pad disposal was. I didn't feel like sharing the experience with my mother, and throwing a lovely blood-soaked pad into the trash was humiliating for me. Sure, a period is natural, but so is defecating. Both are things I would like to keep as private and sanitary as possible.

Anyway, after two years of period hell, I flat out refused to use pads anymore. I can't even begin to describe how much of a relief tampons were. No more worries about messes at night, meaning real, restful nights of sleep. Finally, nothing was hindering me from being active, wearing well-fitting jeans, etc. I could just flush them away discretely, which was a huge blessing. Also, my bathroom didn't smell like menstrual blood anymore. So you can take your "tampons are the root of all evil" bullshit and shove it. When it comes to periods, try understanding that all women might not have as easy of a time as you do, and just because you're anti-tampon doesn't mean you need to project that onto others with a blanket statement like the title of your post.

As for periods in general: they still suck for me. I have an incredibly tolerance for pain, proved by a major injury, but I absolutely cannot bear the horrible cramps that come with the period. I can't even sit through class or go to work; I'm most comfortable in the fetal position. It screws with my stomach and intestines, creating extra pain to go with the cramps.

Finally, I started taking Levora and skipping the placebo weeks. It's probably the single most important booster of my quality of life that I've ever experienced. That's no exaggeration. Unfortunately, sometimes my period still has its way, even though I take the pills. I despise it every time it comes, as I have to manage the pain I talked about above. Thankfully, though, I have tampons, so it's not able to control my life completely while it's here.

And as a little addition:

I've always hated buying hygiene products. I feel like it's saying to the cashier, "Hi, my vagina's bleeding!" Again, I realize it's natural, and I'm not exactly ashamed of it, I just don't like feeling like I'm announcing it. It seems on par with telling someone "I'm going to take a shit." Therefore, the boyfriend buys them, because he really doesn't care. That man knows his way around the tampon aisle better than I do.

Maybe I would feel differently if I had light, relatively painless periods. It's hard for me to put something that's been such an overall negative experience into any sort of a positive light.

I think people are taking this post a little too personally. She made it pretty clear she wasn't flat out condemning tampons or tampon users, just that FOR HER, tampons don't work. It seems to me this was a lighthearted rant, and I found it interesting to read about her experiences.

As for me, I don't have much love for tampons, pads or cups. Or my period, for that matter. Really, I find it extremely intrusive and unpleasant, and I hate not feeling in control of my body for several days each month. Tampons help (I often call them "corks"), largely because I find the idea of running around with a piece of blood-soaked cotton wrapped in plastic and jammed between my legs kind of horrific. Even so, I still use a liner during the first few days. If I weren't so averse to medication and injecting hormones into my body, I'd be all about getting rid of the experience, altogether.

I really hate my period, but I really love tampons compared to pads. Pads make me feel like I'm wearing a diaper. On the other hand, I'm thinking of trying a menstrual cup, but I'm still debating that one.

I love tampons, but even more I love my divacup. The only problem is that everytime I use it, I get a yeast infection which takes about 3-4 days to clear up. Not fun. This period, I've had to switch back to tampons, and I'm planning on boiling my divacup soon for a good long while. Hopefully that'll work. Any suggestions for this dilemma?

About the size of the Diva Cup, my friend got the Moon Cup, and it's supposed to be smaller/more comfortable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup

Wiki has a chart of various menstrual cups and their sizes. looks like the keeper is smaller than Moon Cup in some dimensions and Moon Cup is smaller in length. Hope this is helpful!

And I agree with a lot of commenters about my love of tampons. Pads always felt like diapers to me and I always had leaks. Tampons have been great as a dancer, especially when half of us are on our cycle during performance! It is unfair for tampon commercials to try and brand pad users and make them feel bad, but commercials do tend to suck. I can't imagine having my only option be a pad. Thank goodness for tampons, menstrual cups, pads, homemade pads, pantiliners...yay choice!

CATB commented on August 23, 2008 4:15 PM: "I've always hated buying hygiene products. I feel like it's saying to the cashier, 'Hi, my vagina's bleeding!' Again, I realize it's natural, and I'm not exactly ashamed of it, I just don't like feeling like I'm announcing it."

If it helps make it feel less like saying "Hi, my vagina's bleeding!", I buy hygiene products when they're on sale instead of waiting for my period to start. I guess this means the cashier still can't tell whether you're actually on your period or not when you buy them.

AgnesScottie commented at August 23, 2008 8:12 PM: "Thank goodness for tampons, menstrual cups, pads, homemade pads, pantiliners...yay choice!"

Yay^2! :D

Whoah comment explosion!

I dislike menstrual product commercials too, they're just so formulatic. It's such a weird product to advertise, and it has the strangest ad conventions. The 'after' image of the lady riding the bike, horse, or swimming is so over-used. I kind of like that one tampax commercial where it's two girls in school, and one passes another a tampon and the teacher (a man) demands she share one with everybody (implying he thinks she passed her friend a candy). The girl cheekily says something about how she's got enough for the girls, or will share with just the girls, and then they all giggle.

I have mad love for my Mooncup (UK), best 20 quid I've ever spent. I especially secretly love the gross-out factor of emptying, rinsing, and re-inserting my cup- I have never been so up close and personal with my own fluids before! It's been pretty educational. I was ecstatic when a friend told me she was trying a Diva Cup (I'm not working at the moment, and being kooked up in the house makes me a bit silly and over-excitable, I guess!) but now I am sad to hear she has woe :( I used tampons for a while, and generally didn't mind except for the string (I can tuck it or not tuck, either way, I swear I can feel it). I need to invest in some cloth pads for when I'm too lazy to faff around with my cup though.

I love love love my Diva Cup. I would highly recommend cups. There are a lot out there in different sizes, firmnesses, etc. For those of you who have had Diva issues, there are smaller cups! Check out http://menstrualcups.org/.

I'm gonna take this opportunity to give some love to the sea sponge. My girlfriend/wife/partner/whatever has been using the Diva Cup since I met her, but I wasn't about to put that thing up there, even a smaller version (it's pretty tight down there - i'm not a frequent fan of penetrative sex). I used a pad my whole life because even the tiniest of tampons hurt like woah to put in and remained uncomfortable until I took it out again. Then I became keenly aware of sustainability and decided to try the sea sponge. AWESOME! It can be a bit uncomfortable taking in an out sometimes, but nothing compared to a tampon. It is soft and comfy, and I never can feel it once it's in. And cheap! I'm a fan of cheap! They last about 2 years.

And I agree that having your period is QUITE inconvenient. Even if you have the easiest period in the world (and I certainly don't), having to deal with and change menstrual products and deal with the possibility of "accidents" is certainly less convenient than not bleeding at all.

P.S. I loved this post!

I'm a big fan of lunapads, which are washable cotton pads. They're more absorbant than the plasticy junk they put in disposables, don't get that weird smell, don't chafe, and don't have that wearing a diaper feel. Plus they come in a sort of colors and designs. They're a bit of an investment at first, but I bought enough for a whole period, and have only bought one box of tampons in the past year. I still use tampons if I'm swimming or something. I've tried the Diva cup, but I can't get it up in the right position. I like the concept and might try a different brand, as people here are recomending.

When I was a teenager I used to be embaressed about my period, but now than I'm in my mid-twenties it doesn't bother me than much. Most women past puberty have menstrated, and most men have a wife or significant other who has, so what do I have to hide.

Hear, hear! This post is amazing, I am so glad that Feministing posts some interesting stuff from the community that I wouldn't otherwise get to see. I also find tampons to be a bit unnatural...I find it feels better to just let it flow out than keep it all stuffed up inside. Just a personal opinion.

Eh. I have to say, I'm a tampon girl, myself. I do think the way the 'feminine hygiene' industry- and seriously, guys. What kind of fuckery is that? Whitewashing things do not change them; word to the person upthread who mentioned the 'my period is not a lovely, clean spill of blue liquid' thing- markets, produces, and sells them are gross and insulting, but oi.

I'm a fairly fastidious person. I can't spill soda on my hands without feeling the need to wash them ASAP, and walking around while *wet* bugs me. I do not want to have a squishy cunt during my period, thanks. It makes me all D: and filled with a need to wash. Constantly.

Since I tried it, I have become a walking commercial for the Diva Cup. So incredibly comfortable, and no weird chemicals like you find in tampons. I tried putting a tampon in a glass of water and that was enough to turn me off for life. With the Diva Cup I can even sleep naked when I am having my period!

This post rules. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the comments/stories as well.
I have to say, I have never EVER tried using a tampon in my life (I'm 25, first started getting periods at 16). I remember my (younger) sister locking me in the bathroom for an hour yelling "just put it in! It's easy!!" I wouldn't give in. I was too freaked out about having something in my vagina and walking around. I'll gladly stick to pads; although I definitely get why people love tampons. But I still ALWAYS get "OMG! You still use pads!!!"

For all of you saying that pads feel like diapers, I'm wondering if you're using disposables. Those things are disgusting and do feel like diapers. They make noise and smell bad and are just gross. But reusable cotton pads are an entirely different universe. They feel 1000% better. They're better for the environment, and though they're more of an investment at first, they save you a lot of money for the environment. And a lot of them you can buy are so cute. I actually look forward to pulling them out every month.

Tampons do make me happy when I have a period. They're neat, tidy, and easy to use. If you don't like them, well, OK, use something else. It's not a huge deal, really. Or do what I did--suppress your periods. Best thing I had done for my body in many years. I'm pregnant now, but I'm planning on suppressing again when I start regular cycles.

This post made my day. I'm absolutely all about women using whichever product is most comfortable for THEM. Instead, the hypothetical male gaze overrules all personal comfort concerns, at least in the minds of advertisers, as it always does. How convenient for them that women have already been told since birth what their top priorities should always be! It really must make marketing simpler.
And it's so true that periods just ARE- they're not shameful, or gross, or anything! Sometimes they're the best, most reassuring thing ever, and sometimes they totally suck, but I, for one, am going to be sure to define MY period based on MY own experiences- and hopefully one day my daughters will be able to do the same, (double hopefully) with less propaganda to have to sort through and reject!

First off, I love this post. :D Seeing all these women talking honestly about their bodies and periods is so refreshing compared to the way menstruation is usually portrayed in the media. Especially that tampon ad in Rachel's original post: "Keep your period private! Don't embarrass yourself or anyone else by opening your mouth and spilling the beans about your bleeding uterus! For shame! (fatty!)"
God, that's so fucking patronizing.

Anyway, I've been longing after a divacup for a while (they sound so much cleaner and comfortable than pads) but they're not for sale in my country. Tampons are really, really uncomfortable for me, but pads are barely any better. What shits me about pad/tampon ads is the idea that our periods are equivalent to a neat blue drop of liquid, immediately absorbed, and once handled by the product of choice we're happy as larks dancing and cartwheeling and laughing around the place. I guess it would be to *embarrassing* to describe the actual experience of relying on a pad - the wet squishy mess between your legs that you constantly have to check for leaks, even (especially) when you try and lie down to sleep.

When I was younger I used to be petrified of my period, the thought of anyone knowing it was happening would send me into agonies of embarrassment. As I grew older I chilled out about it, but even so I don't exactly look forward to it now. I guess if there's something out there which makes those handful of days easier; be it pads, tampons, cups, sponges, whatever; it's up to each woman to choose for herself.

AH! I am so glad that this post will hopefully convert people into DIVA CUP users!

I love my diva cup - the only problem is that it presses on my bladder (maybe this has something to do w/ the fact that I have a tipped uterus?)

I got mine my first year of college and have not looked back since. I've saved SO much money (seriously... $15/mo * 12 months * 4 years = $720!!), travel is a lot easier, I don't have to worry about TSS, I don't get that disgusting smell that tampons and pads used to emit, I don't cramp any more, and using my diva cup is actually a huge joy. It makes me look forward to my period!! And I can even use it when my period is light (rather than buying different sized tampons).

While you've made an effort not to insult tampon users, I still find this post to be very insulting. Frankly... parts of it remind me of the old "good girls/virgins don't use tampons" myth and the term "thirsty little albino penises" used on the satirical abstinence website Iron Hymen.

I prefer tampons even though I, too, felt like there was a stick inside me when I first started using them as a 12-year-old with a hymen. Once I got used to them and learned how to insert them properly (read: deeper, so it's past the hymen and vaginal opening) I loved them. I honestly do not feel them (unless I'm inserting/removing or concetrating really hard on them) and they allow me to go swimming. They also don't have the yucky, wet feeling on skin or matting of hair that pads often leave one with.

While tampon commercials (along with almost all commercials for menstrual products!) are insulting, some women just prefer tampons for their own reasons. And I still don't see how something that requires you (unlike pads) to touch your genitals can serve to detach you from your body and its natural functions.

Different strokes for different folks. The women who use tampons are definately not evil, but tampons aren't either.

actually, i'm more of a tampon girl. pads do feel like i'm back in diapers again. since i'm already bloated, aching with cramps, and very very bitchy, i like wearing a tampon. it feels as if i have to constantly be fixing a pad everytime i move, to make sure it's in the right spot.
oh and i think it's bullshit to 'hide' a period from others. my sister always tells me to buy the pads and tampons because she's embarrased. what is there to be embarrased about? everyone woman goes through it. so why hide it? thats why, when i do buy the necessities, i hold them with pride. because i know that i am a young woman, living life.

Ugh, period products.

My periods are horrible. Extremely heavy (I once started in the middle of the night when we were staying at the hotel; woke up to a 3 foot wide wet patch on the sheet and a 1 foot wide soggy soaked-in blotch on the mattress. I hate being a heavy sleeper). I always get really bad cramps in my right leg- in the thigh, and sometimes spreading down into the knee joint or further, in the day or two before I come on, which makes it impossible to get comfortable whether sitting, laying down, raising my legs, and standing/walking becomes a chore. My headaches get worse, I bloat massively, and my period is irregular and always has been.

Tampons are horrible because they fill up too fast and then the blood starts oozing through them, and they become massive and painful to remove. Pads with wings; the wings curl up and stick to my pubes. Pads without; they crinkle up towards the bum, then move so I end up bleeding just above or just below or to either side of the pad. We can't get diva cups over here in the UK, so I tend to just put up with pads. I'm in so much discomfort, even with continuous codeine intake during the dreaded week, that I'm not bothered about appearing "sexy".

Personally, I'm still waiting for my doctor to agree that 24 is not too young to have it all chopped out. I don't want children, and if I ever change my mind will adopt, so this is nothing more than a major inconvenience and drain for me.