To think stop shaming sanitary pads!

[BooFuckingHoo2]

I’ll call eat this by saying I have ASD.

From high school for me it was encouraged by teachers (PE) to “use tampons”. So from 12 I used tampons (painfully) because sanitary towels were considered “gross” or girls were worried they could be seen under their PE kit.

This carried on with “friends” causally by them being like ew who used pads.

I was twenty fucking six until I dared use a pad because I had a bad UTI and by god the relief was immense, no longer having to reluctantly shove things up myself. It’s not like “wearing a nappy” at all.

AIBU to think there’s a social pressure to use tampons?

I'm really surprised at this. I found tampons uncomfy until I was in my twenties and at my school most of us used pads. I have only ever used tampons on the first 2 anyway otherwise they just feel wrong and not comfy. What has been a revelation is swapping to washable pads and modibodi - so much easier!

I never have experienced this I use both at the same time because of horrendous heavy periods. I also hate the "gush" feeling from not wearing a tampon.

I’ve been on washable pads since I got what felt like chemical burns postpartum with my first child from a sanitary towel.
For years I thought the irritation from some pads was just a part of menstruation- it's not! So much better with cotton pads.

Only you Op.

I've never used tampons, and never felt shamed into doing so. I prefer pads.

I actually agree with you OP!

I agree that at school there was an attitude of pads being what you started with, and moving to tampons was more “grown up”.

I only use them for swimming. It's meant to flow out and pads feel more natural than tampons to me.

Not “shaming” but definitely surprise from other adult women, yes

I don't think there's shame to it anymore. I think you're maybe caught up in 20 years ago.

Also I'm confused as you say in school the pads were tied to the pants?

But also that it's been 14 years since you started?

I got my period 23 years ago and definitely only had adhesive always/body form on the market that whole time.

I'm in my earky 40s and have never used tampons, so uncomfortable. I use reusable pads now, so comfy. Sorry that you felt pressured op, I think all my friends used tampons but I never felt pressure.

I tried tampons a few times over the years but a combination of physiological issues and extremely heavy periods mean my body starts to force them down and out within about 10 to 15 minutes.
I am quite happy with pads, although I still have to change them every hour and quite often resort to three days off work sitting on a towel.
I have never felt any pressure to use tampons, I like the idea of them but they don't work for me.
PS. Yes I am under a gynae for my issues. Hoping for a hysterectomy at some point.

I got my period in the late 80s and there was definitely a pro-tampon narrative: pads were dirty, chafed, leaked etc.

My periods were so heavy I had to use both, never heard of being forced to use tampons. They are so slim and descrete these days, I started my periods at 11, when the "norm" was around 16, they were huge great things, cut off a roll, you had to make a loop one end, and tie round your waist with a bandage.They used to chaff and make me really sore

I remember being a young teenager and ordering loads if free samples of tampons from magazines before going in holiday -too embarrassed to ask my mum. When she found out she whispered ' why do you need .....( really quiet whisper) tampons?' Like there was something shameful about it. So I've always though towels were the norm!

I use a mix of mooncup/ tampons/ pads. Haven't braved washable pants yet.

I mean that was what people said. I now use pads at night and at home (I have cloth pads) although I use tampons when out as they are more comfortable for walking for me.

I agree with you 100%

It's been 40 years since I started, and I've always used the adhesive pads (my mum worked for a chemist so got discount on Bodyform for me). I'm another person who has repeatedly tried tampons, at various ages, because they would offer such convenience - but I've never found them comfortable and always revert to pads after a day. Thanks to advertising, peer pressure, social norms I have always felt slightly 'odd' and 'old fashioned' for continuing with pads and not 'growing up' into tampons. If I were younger, I'd switch to cloth pads - but I'm not investing in them when every month I hope will be the last

Yes I felt this too OP! Tampons have always seemed more grown up than pads. I can't remember the specifics but I thought it was because there was an outcry in the 80s about a risk of TSS and so there were the TSS labels added to tampons (so all the pad companies spoke about pads being safer and cleaner and the tampon companies responded by making tampons seem the more "professional" and successful period product).

I remember reading something about this a while ago, might be wrong however. Even so, I definitely experienced pressure to move to tampons as the more grown-up choice but I'm still on pads! I just don't like anything inside my body for extended periods (pun intended)

Things were the opposite for me (mid 30s) - the first thing I learned about tampons was that you could get toxic shock syndrome and die from them. Our school nurse also recounted a personal story about the first time she used them, where she had such trouble with them that she wasted the whole box trying one after the other like Goldilocks. We were steered heavily towards pads.

I've only ever had one person say they are like a nappy. That was on a school trip when I was 11. I only ever wear tampons when swimming. I don't get on with them at all. I can always feel them when they are in. I'm quite happy with sanitary towels. I always used Always but have switched to Bodyform now and they are great. Always stink of bad air freshener.

I agree with this .I have never in over 40 years of having periods managed to insert one Tampon yet! Even my DM thought Tampons were great ,but mostly because she had to battle with dreadful loops and belts! I have used Always forever and (so has my DD) and think they have got better and better. DM was a little envious at the slimline towels on offer though.I think this is a societal pressure to play down periods generally though .You know those ads when A woman was running /Sailing /coping with 3 DC/bike riding /anything she could do normally not interfered with by the trivialities of menstruating!

also asf.hated periods,and made me a bir roo psychitic mirena works every level

I’m older than you OP and the pads on offer when I started in the late 1980s were fat and bulky. I was so relieved to switch to tampons.

I’m not sure when slimmer profile pads came in but it was definitely later.

Never had this pressure and also went to an all girls school. Possible I wasn't aware of it though and I do think it's the kind of thing some of the meaner girls might have said to bully the less confident, sadly, though.

You said you were worrying about teenagers today being pressured to use tampons or mooncups. There is product that is v popular with early teens calked Modi Bodi - look them up (there are other similar brands too).

My daughter has sensory processing issues and can't bear pads or tampons but tolerates the modi bodi style pants. I think they are so expensive that they are not an option for all though but another option and much better from an environmental perspective too.