I hate tampons!

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I've never used the ones with no applicators and don't know how. Don't you get blood on your finger?

I find the applicator ones easier, especially the plastic ones that slide in easier.

How does the applicator work? You put it in, then do you take the applicator out? How do you pull it out without taking the actual cotton part out? It's confusing. >.<

I'm not always good at explaining things.

You stick the applicator in up to a bit before the grippy part (mine have a ridged part to grip), use the plunger to push the tampon further in which pushes it out of the applicator, and then remove the two applicator pieces that are mostly inside each other.

you just push them in. less fiddly and easier to know if you're aiming right imo

......

I think I'll stick with pads. Less complicated and no chance of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

I like the applicators, cleaner, plus it makes more sense to me. It's like a plunger or needle (without pointy stuff, clearly!), where you just push the tampon in. Once it's in, you can just pull and the applicator comes out. The tampon will come with instructions, let's just say I used them A LOT before I understood what the heck I was supposed to do. And I still mess up XD

I never could stand them either, the burn, the dehydration, the leak down the string, the cutting the string off to avoid the leak only to have to try to dig it out. I also could never stand pads, the crunchy texture, the smell, the itch on my skin, however cups I do quite well with. I started out with the keeper in the 90s (but the rubber bothered me), then the instead cup in the early oughts http://www.softcup.com/, now I use Diva Cup http://www.divacup.com/

I think I'd rather use applicators. I hate penetration and smooth plastic slides in easier and less painfully than flesh. Plus some brands even have thinner ones labelled as teen, junior, or slimfit.

I started using tampons after I got the Norplant. I was bleeding so much (like 20+ days a month at first) I just couldn't stand using pads all the time, plus highly absorbent pads were thicker than, they have really thin highly absorbent pads now.

Now I usually use a tampon and a pad in case it leaks and sometimes just a pad if my flow is light.

Part of the reason I like tampons is because I hate wearing underwear and only wear then if I wear pads.

but you just throw the plastic thing away, it seems so wasteful

There are sites online where you can buy washable menstrual pads if someone likes pads and is worried about the environment.

I don't think I could use those mooncup type things I hear about. I'd never manage to get one of those in and out of me.

ok i don't like the environment that much

i always hated the feeling of tampons - this itchy, dry feeling of "something is in there and wants attention". *g*
my life changed extremely as i found out about "mooncups", there are several different brands now and i us "meluna". it's great, but you have to put something in there as well, so it's not a solution for everyone.
you must be able to do that and to stand the fact that you will see a lot of blood (which is accumulating in the cup for some hours). the cups are made of latex (i think there are latex free versions too) and they are soft but "filling the space" and i don't feel mine at all.

I love love LOVE my divacup. I started using them at age 19 (8 years ago) and instantly never wanted to go back to anything else. That means that the last 8 years of my menstrual cycle only cost around $30usd.

I really know how you feel. I didn't even try to use a tampon until just a few years ago and it felt awful. It burned and itched even though it was the second or third day of my period and I had to remove it right away. As a teen the thought of inserting an object up into my body was scary and the warnings about Toxic Shock were, too. The worse thing about it was not being able to go swimming during my period, and swimming was the one physical activity I actually loved and was good at. I recently also tried one of those "cup" things, but I found it difficult and painful to remove them and I could still feel them inside me and it was really uncomfortable. If there's one thing about men that makes me thing they have it perfect it's that they don't get periods. Or get pregnant.

Hear hear for the diva cup!

But seriously, TMI, but I have so many goddamn issues with my period (sensory as well as practical) that I just use the depo shot instead. No more periods. Couldn't be happier!