To think DD(14) should not be wearing a tampon if she's asleep for 14 hours?

[MyballsareSandy2015]

She thinks I'm being a fuss pot but I'm worried about toxic shock, which you don't seem to hear much about these days. She certainly hadn't heard of it.

[Stanky]

I remember learning about TSS in year 6, and feeling faint just talking about tampons getting stuck up there. It put me right off, and I always used pads.

[TracyBarlow]

I really don't think a Mooncup is suitable for a 14 year old either, btw. No way.

Why not?

I've left a tampon in for as long as your daughter. I guess all you can do is tell her the risks. You can't change it for her.

Does anyone have any recent stats, out of interest, for the rate of incidences if TS.

[Mintyy]

at 9/10 hours sleep.

[LuluJakey1]

I was toldby a Consultant Gynacological Oncologist to change to pads for overnight use after 2 lots of treatment to remove abnormal cells following smear tests. He said he gave the same advice to his wife and daughters although he had no evidence of a connection between tampons and abnormal cells, he felt it was unhealthy to leave tampons in overnight and that the cervix should have a break from them. I have followed his advice ever since and had no further problems.

[Stickerrocks]

www.telegraph.co.uk/women/health/toxic-shock-syndrome-the-myths-that-need-busting/
Useful reading.

[NewLife4Me]

I used to get a temperature after insertion and ws rushed to hospital at 14.
You need to be careful with tampons and yes for God's sake educate your daughters.

[Sallystyle]

Moon cups are great but I don't find them good for nighttime use as mine leak everywhere.

I have probably left a tampon in for 10 hours over night during my light days but 14 would scare me too much. The risks might be low but the consequences of that risk are so severe that it just isn't one worth taking.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Dd is 14, she uses tampons and pads, I have no idea which and when, I buy them and leave it up to her.
I have bought her a moon cup too, just put it in her drawer with the other stuff and up to her.
I don't think any teen will thank you for going on about their periods.

[VestalVirgin]

@LuluJakey: Apparently, they can put into tampons whatever they like, including substances that are suspected of causing cancer, so I think there is a connection there. (One would think tampons were regulated same as foodstuff, but apparently, they're not. Not that food is that well regulated, either, of course.)

It is amazing how you only ever seem to get solid advice from Oncologists - I was told by one that using the pill for contraception for more than five years is not something he'd recommend ... I haven't ever heard that anywhere else.

[CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger]

YADNBU - I ended up in HDU with toxic shock in my early 20's - I was incredibly ill.

[SoupDragon]

For those of you suggesting a Mooncup, according to the article linked to earlier: Mooncup recommends you clean your menstrual cup before use, and remove, wash and insert it every four to eight hours during your period

So, no better.

[Mintyy]

"I don't think any teen will thank you for going on about her periods"

What kind of statement is that?

[BrandNewAndImproved]

First MN thread where I've come out on the skanky side.

I will put a tampon in after my bath about half 9/10 and then go all night and if a weekend all morning without changing. I forget about them at the end of my period to and leave them in all day.

I once had two up there for a while and it was only when I was changing the second one I felt the first!

[pretend]

I'm amazed.

I've never heard anyone even talk about TSS since I was about 13 and I'm substantially older than that now!

Is it still a thing? What is it? How do you know you've got it?

Although I long for the days when I could leave a tampon in for 8 hours and not look like a scene from Carrie....

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Modern tampons are more likely to cause TSS as they don't use cotton they use a substance that bacteria grown in far more readily (rayon?)

Menstrual cups arent a particularly easy environment for bacteria to grow on - it used to be there had been nk cases of TSS with menstrual cups but there is a few now.

This is a scary article:
www.vice.com/en_uk/read/meet-the-model-who-lost-her-leg-to-toxic-shock-syndrome-611

[PushAPushPop]

The PPs about the magazines in the 90s, I totally agree- all the Sugar/Bliss mags I read were always very informative about TSS.
Thanks to this I was always aware of it.

But do teenagers even read magazines these days? My 16 yo DD doesn't so it's left to me to drum it in. However, I do think the media did help to raise awareness to me, especially the scary stories they published.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Is it still a thing? What is it? How do you know you've got it?

About 40 cases/ 2/deaths a year in the UK www.toxicshock.com

[pretend]

2 deaths a year? Ok I'm not going to worry too much then...

[Mintyy]

Worry about the 40 cases perhaps then? Having TSS even if you survive is no walk in the park.

[pretend]

40 out of how many women per year? Millions.

[pretend]

On your link it says of those 40 cases only half were women who used tampons.

I think the risk is negligible.

[Mintyy]

We've had two posters on this thread and my friend, Pretend. The risk is very small but why risk it when there are simple alternatives? I just don't understand.

[BeyondThirty]

I think i remember reading that the safety advice has changed to 8 hours max or overnight?

Dunno, gravity is normally enough for me overnight, even when i had very heavy periods in the day!!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

The risk of getting TSS is quite low, but the consequences can be pretty high. Even if you don't die potentially losing a leg, for example is a fairly big deal - and its such a simple thing to take precautions against, so why wouldn't you?

[pretend]

What's the precaution? Not wearing a tampon for longer than 8 hours?

I don't anyway, simply because by 8 hours it would be a massacre, even with the biggest absorbency I can get my hands on. A pad overnight would be a disaster. I usually get up and change a tampon midway through the night for the first two or three nights and after that would probably only be asleep 8 hours anyway.

I'm just amazed it's a thing when no one I know ever discusses it. It wouldn't occur to me to speak to my dd about it.