Inserting a tampon for the first time can be scary, but it doesn’t need to be!
- Wash your hands with soap and water. You will want to be as sterile as possible.
- Unwrap the tampon and relax. You may want to sit on the toilet with your knees apart or standing with one foot on the toilet seat.
- Gently insert the tampon applicator into your vagina. While holding the grip (raised design area of the tampon), slide the barrel inside angling towards your back (approximately a 450 angle). If the tampon won’t go in smoothly or if it is painful, you may be inserting the tampon at the wrong angle. Slide the applicator in all the way into your vagina until your fingers touch your body.
- Push the tampon inside. Once the barrel is comfortably inside, hold the grip and push the plunger all the way into the barrel with your free finger. The plunger should meet the grip of the barrel.
- Remove the applicator. Once the absorbent part of the tampon is comfortably inside the vagina, using your thumb and finger on the grip, pull out the plastic barrel of the tampon leaving the string to hang out.
The tampon should now be inserted comfortably inside you with the string outside your body. You will use the string to remove the tampon. If you experience any discomfort, use a new tampon and start the process from the start and try inserting at a new angle. If the tampon is correctly in place you should not feel anything.
- Tampon removal. Try getting into the position you used to insert the tampon. Relax your muscles and gently pull down on the string. The tampon should slide out easily.
Discard the tampon by wrapping the tampon in toilet paper or the wrapper and placing it in the trash. It is best to not flush the tampon or applicator in the toilet. Always remember to wash your hands when either removing or inserting a tampon.
Have more questions about tampons? Check out our answers to a few frequently asked questions about tampons.