Why can I feel my tampon?

Teenage girl leaning against a wall

Using tampons is great. We’re big fans – but you may be concerned about whether you can feel a tampon while wearing one. If it’s inserted properly, you can’t feel a tampon at all.

Firstly, a reminder on how tampons work

Here’s a quick primer on how tampons work. Tampons are inserted into your vagina where they absorb menstrual fluid before it has a chance to leave your body. Your vaginal muscles keep the tampon in place until you’re ready to take it out. It won’t move until you do. That’s why you can’t feel a tampon during use. However, if you’re not supposed to feel a tampon, you may be wondering why you can feel yours.

Why can I feel my tampon, then?

The most likely reason is that you didn’t push your tampon in far enough when you inserted it. Not to worry – simply use your finger to push it in a little further. If that doesn’t fix it, just take it out and try again with a fresh one.

Another reason why you might be able to feel your tampon is because you’re using too high of an absorbency. If you use a higher absorbency tampon than you need, this can cause your vagina to dry out, which will make it too dry for your tampon to sit comfortably inside, giving you that uncomfortable tampon feeling.

How to insert a tampon properly

Here’s how to do it so that you can’t feel your tampon. Hold the grip marks on the tampon applicator with your thumb and middle finger. Open your legs so that they’re at least shoulder-width apart. Make sure to push the tampon in until the entire thicker outer tube of the applicator (the part with the tampon in it) is completely inside your vagina and you can’t see it. A good way of achieving this is to angle the applicator slightly towards your back and slide it into your vagina until your fingers holding the grip marks on the applicator come into contact with your skin. Only then should you push the plunger in to release the tampon from the applicator. Sometimes it takes a little bit of practice to get it right and achieve that I-don’t-even-know-it’s-there tampon feeling.

Once you get the hang of it, tampons are really comfortable. A lot of girls prefer them to pads because they can do and wear whatever they want while on their period. Whether you choose tampons or pads is entirely up to you.

Check out Tampax’s new step-by-step guide to tampons and watch super helpful videos from a partnership with Tyla: