Wednesday, May 11, 2011

How can my daughter choose the right tampon?

The type of tampon that is right for your daughter depends on her menstrual flow. Simply stated, she should match the absorbency of the tampon to her flow. If she has a light flow, then she should try the junior or regular tampon. If her tampon is completely soaked before 4 hours, she should try one with higher absorbency.

However, you should caution your daughter that if a tampon is too absorbent for her flow, vaginal dryness and even vaginal ulcerations can occur. If a tampon is dry and hard to remove, shreds, or doesn’t need to be changed for many hours, she should switch to a less absorbent tampon. Why is this important? Because research suggests that the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome may increase with tampon absorbency. However, please note this doesn’t mean your daughter should shy away from using higher absorbency tampons if she really needs them.