Tampon – how to?

• How do you know that the tampon is in properly?
• Is the tampon in too deep? Not deep enough?

Do these questions sound dumb? Not at all — we hear them all day long from our patients.  Luckily, the answers are simple.  Consider these quick tips:

1. Put some lubrication (KY Jelly or any other vaginally-suitable product) on the tip of the tampon to smooth the insertion.
2. Once inside you, give the tampon/applicator an extra ‘nudge’ in so that the tampon will pop into its anatomical resting place just below the cervix.
3. Is it deep enough? Yes, it is if you cannot feel it when you sit down (ouch).  Need to test this? Either sit on the toilet seat, or place your flat hand up against your vagina to see if you can feel the edge of the tampon.
4. A tampon that was inserted in a bit of a sideways angel may also produce discomfort.
5. Whatever the cause of the discomfort, pull the tampon out and insert a new one — fixing the existing tampon does not always work well.
6. Feel that ‘rug burn’ upon removal of the tampon? Put some vaginally-suitable lubrication on your finger and insert into your vagina to lube the area below the tampon so it will come out smoothly.

Make sure to read our other posts about tampons and remember: the vagina is dead-end canal and the tampon cannot get lost inside.  You or your partner can always ‘fish it out’ as long as you stay calm and don’t let panic set in, which will make it much worse…

Vagina – endless?

Can anything get lost in the vagina??????

Does the vagina continue into my abdomen? Chest? Throat?

Interestingly, many women perceive the vagina as a long, continuous canal that starts at the genitals and continues into the body… Sort of like the digestive system, that spans from mouth to rectum (or vice versa).

This perception leads to worries such as noted above, easily believed with the vagina being an ‘invisible’ part of the body that cannot be self-tested.

The truth:

• The vagina is only about 10-12cm deep (4-4.5 inches)
• It is a dead-end tube
• A typical gynecologic exam will check the entire length of the vagina
• In the unlikely event that the tampon is ’stuck’ there, it can be easily retrieved
• Nothing can get lost ‘in there’

If you’ve just taken out a ruler to see how long 10-12cm are, you may wonder how does an erect penis fit inside being that it is longer than the quoted vaginal length…

Well, nature was created by a fine architect: the uterus, which sits at the deep end of the vagina, is like a trampoline, able to be nudged into the pelvis by the arriving penis, thus lengthening the vagina as needed.

Smart, isn’t it?