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Hello, can you tell me if Tampons (unscented) are safe to use? Ive used them for the last 3 months (no pads). When i went to the gyno for my annual pap smear the doctor noticed that my cervix was red with no discharge. I get a pap ever year, and i have never had a abnormal one. I have been tested for std last year and i haven't had sex in 1 year.
I just read another topic where Flowershoplady mentioned that tampons can spread the HPV infection for another places inside the vagina / cervix. I didn't have that information before so I just wanted to let you all know that now why i didn't mentioned anything related to that on my post.
Su
i think tampons are generally safe as well. and there are ways to keep yourself as healthy as possible by changing them often enough, using non scented products, and so forth. women may also want to use tampons (and pads!) that are not treated with bleach. but, yes, there also risk factors, particularly if a woman has an active hpv infection. i used tampons for decades and don't attribute any of my gyn issues to them. everyone has to decide for themselves, weighing pros and cons....everything in moderation!
Hey, thanks for the reply! I get the results back tomorrow for the pap smear. It took 3 weeks to get the results, and its been a long wait. I'm very nervous. I have never been diagnosed with hpv yet, and im so scared to find out.
The doctor said that it looked red, but she didn't see any visible lesions or discharge. She didnt say irritated. She just told me to stop using the tampons. I changed them every 8 hours, and i slept in them. So i was wearing tampons 24 hours a day.
Im just hoping that its nothing serious.
Hi, I changed the tampon every 8 hours and i wore them overnight..... for like 5 days straight. I used Jewel Oscos generic Brand of unscented tampons so they probably were bleached.
I just hope that the pap smear comes out okay.
Hi, i have good news. The pap was okay, and the doctor showed me to paper and it said everything was negative....But that still didn't help me to understand why my cervix was red. Im still concerned about it. He did not do the hpv test because im 27 and i had a normal pap.Is there a way that i can make the doctor give me the test?
Hi seekandfind....
RE: the HPV test...it's easy, you just call your doctor's office and say you'd like to schedule an appt to come back for an HPV test. Since they didn't run the HPV test with your first sample from your pap 3 weeks ago, you'll basically have to go back in for another wet smear. I think your insurance should cover it because it would be a different procedure code...you can call this number to double check: 1-866-895-1478--this is for the digene HPV test.
Hugs and prayers!
Thanks for the phone number:) How much does the test cost? I don't have insurance so i go to a family planning clinic, and i have to pay cash.
Also, how long is the window period of hpv. I mean how long do you have to be infected before it appears on a test?
From what I understand it can be years or months or just days from the time on infection. HPV can be dormant in your body for a long while, meaning it doesn't even have to be your last partner you contracted it from. It "activates" its self when your immunities are low, from being sick, warn out & stressed, ect. Hope this helps, Im still learning much about it, myself. Good luck!
Since i got an abnormal pap test, I stopped using ordinary tampons and have now switched to using natural sea sponges. They are egg-shaped and perfect size. I find them to be much more comfortable than the tampons and they can absorb much more.
Hey, thanks for the response. So if HPV can be dormant in your body, does the hpv test detect it when its dormant?
For example....Like if i had sex 2 months ago and contracted hpv, will the test detected it...or is that too early?
Hey, im going to completely give up sing tampons, and that really sucks! I hate wearing pads.
I found a article today. Is there any truth to this?
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/tamp1.htm
http://www.selfstudycenter.org/topic_uncomfort.htm
Cervical Dysplasia & Yeast Infections
Modern western culture does not set aside time for women to menstruate. Women themselves do not wish to alter their typical lifestyles and activities simply because they are having a period. As a result, many women, especially young ones, use tampons to minimize the effect of menstruation on their lives.
Tampons are convenient, provide minimal hand and eye contact with menstrual blood, and make walking, running, and other physical activities easier than when having an absorbent pad between the legs.
But what are the consequences of using a tampon? The walls of the vagina are lined with a mucus membrane, much like the lining of the mouth. Imagine if you were to put a tampon in the cheek of your mouth for 3-7 days, 24 hours daily. Your cheek lining would feel raw. This is what a tampon does to the vaginal lining.
As a result, the vaginal mucous membrane secretes extra mucus to sooth its irritated membrane. This is why some women experience a mucus discharges after their menstrual period ends. If tampon usage continues, month after month, the irritation of the vaginal lining causes an overgrowth of cells, in the same way as rubbing the skin of the hands can cause thickened skin. This is the body’s way of protecting its skin layers.
As the tampon rubs on the cervix, skin covering that organ will develop extra layers, as well. This overgrowth of cervical skin has been called cervical dysplasia. It is a direct result of the mechanical irritation of the cervix by tampons, and is reversible.
In addition, an irritated vagina has an inflamed mucous membrane which is more susceptible to infections and which oozes lymph fluid. This can create an environment ripe for yeast growth, producing yeast infections. The cause of these infections is not the yeast. It is the irritation of the vagina that makes it possible for yeast to grow and attack the vaginal lining. It also makes it possible for bacteria to grow, which is why tampons can cause toxic shock syndrome.
Tampons, then, can lead to vaginal irritation, cervical dysplasia, and vaginal infections.
Very interesting article...thanks for sharing!
And, yes, family planning/public health departments offer the HPV test for relatively low costs. Do check it out as it will probably be pretty accurate at detecting and infection. If you do test positive, you then have the knowledge to know that your body is trying to fight off an infection, so you can do your part to help it--start eating better foods, taking vitamins, getting plenty of sleep and excersise, etc. You can also set a f/u date for 6 months to go back and repeat the test to see if you've cleared the infection.
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Hi Seekandfind,
Personally I believe tampons are safe. I've been using tampons for over 5 years and never had a problem. Except for my last one, all Pap tests I had before were normal.
The instructions on the box say to change for a new tampon every 8 hours but I think that's too much so I actually change it every 4-5 hours. Also I don't sleep with it.
May I ask if you already got the results of your last Pap, the one when the doctor said your cervix looked red? Did it looked irritated?
Hope this was helpful,
Su