To think changing your tampon in a gym change room is a bit foul?

[Sansarya]

I was at the gym earlier today, getting changed after my shower in the change room while chatting to a friend. A woman came out of the showers wrapped in her towel. Before my friend and I knew what was happening, she had whipped out her tampon and put it in the bin!

I wouldn't normally ask but can I have a pm too please?

Hmm I'd be shocked if I saw someone whip one out, but I think if it was common I wouldn't be bothered by it. I think it would be quite nice if we could all be more open about periods. I mean she just removed it and threw it away, she wasnt swinging it about or anything. I understand why people think it is disgusting though and like I said I would be shocked if I saw it.

Was going to guess Emma Thompson but can't imagine she's stinky.

It's more like pooing / peeing in a toilet with no cubical door. I wouldn't do it if there were other options available, but I know it's a social thing, rather than an unhygienic thing.

Ooohh pm me please too!

Have witnessed a number of women when in the glass fronted cell in custody take to smearing their used sanitary towels / tampons all over the glass cell in a dirty protest. Nice.
Nothing amazes me any more!
Agreed though - why couldn't she have nipped to toilet to do it - sounds like she was playing the exhibitionist!

"I wouldn't do it, and I'd probably be shocked, even though I know logically that it's no worse than changing a plaster."

I think this is where I'm at with this. Yet I'm weirdly in awe of this woman who happily does this.

I can't imagine who would do that. I don't think I've ever removed a tampin in front of anyone let alone strangers.

I'd like a PM too, Dame

Bogey - it wasn't out so far that she couldn't have made it to the loo. We could all see because she was wearing her underwear and sitting with her legs wide apart.
I agree with the other posters, we generally don't pee and poo in public so why would it be ok to sort your period out in public?

I'm with Bogey here. I'm faintly puzzled by the general visceral disgust. It doesn't provoke that emotion in me.

Don't get me wrong, I'd also be faintly puzzled at the need to do it in public, but I don't think I'd do more than shrug and get on with changing/drying/whatever.

Ooh, I really want to know who the actress is! Please can I have a PM too?

bogeyface it's about standards and keeping things private

Would you have sex / masterbate in a changing room , that's natural too , just saying ......

I was in the gym once and went for a swim. Afterwards I put my costume in the spin dryer thing, pressed the lid down to operate and thought 'thats a funny noise.' I took my costume out, and there was a used sanitary towel in there. It wasn't mine.

FFS who goes swimming with a sanitary towel? Surely if you were having a period and wanted a swim, you'd use a tampon or one of those mooncup thingys?

Mayz I think you are right in that it probably is the blood but I disagree with this so getting someone else's blood is more of an issue with us these days than it would have been in the past.

In the past women were considered unclean when they had their periods (in some cultures they still are) and were seperated from the "pure" men. They had to be Churched after birth as they were considered unclean for a month after the birth of a boy and 2 months after a girl (surprise surprise that its longer for a girl). So I wonder if the idea of menstrual blood being disgusting and unclean etc is a hang over from that.

Poo especially can carry some nasty bugs which is why we flush it away, unless you have HIV or Hepatitis then your menstrual blood poses no such risks and presumably no one would be touching your used tampon if it was in the bin so the chances of anyone picking it up would be slim to none (assuming a lined bin as they are at my gym). IMo there is a massive difference between pooing in a bin and putting a tampon in one.

AFAIK the issue around not wanting to touch someone else's blood is a hygiene issue. It's a fluid, from a stranger, of unknown bacteriological content. Same as other bodily excretions. In anthropological terms, it's a form of self preservation. You don't know what diseases they've got, therefore, don't touch it. Culturally it's pretty ingrained.

flabby why is it about standards/privacy? Half the world bleeds once a month, its hardly a secret is it?! And some people have sex with strangers in car parks, so presumably yes there are people who would do that :o

The thing is there is no reason to do this. Most people don't therefore I tend to think that some people are purely attention seeking/looking to cause shock. 'look at me, look at how laid back a day liberal I am, i'll whip my tampon out in public'

Yuck! It is disgusting to do that in public.

Pretty disrespectful on everyone using the shared facilities. It's not her private changing room and their are accepted conventions to be observed when sharing public spaces.

Dirty mare!

It's not even remotely about the blood for me. I just don't want the sight of a woman removing/inserting something into her vagina sprung on me.

I've had friends change their sanitary towels In front of me whilst camping etc and it didn't bother me at all.

Bogey

1. Flying clots risk as tampon swings out

1. Proximity to sink to wash hands increased with proximity to toilet

If it's about the blood, how is it different from changing a plaster? I don't run to the toilet every time I need to change a plaster, is that gross too?! As long as the tampon ended up in a bin, didn't drip or get smeared on the wall how is it any different (hygiene wise) from changing it in a toilet?

I do get the cultural aspect (like pooing in private or having sex in private) but I don't understand the "germs" argument.

*there!

Could I have a PM too, please, dame.

bodeyface some things just don't need to be shared though
We know it happens , it's nothing to be embarrassed about , but you don't need to subject everybody to