April 14, 2009
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Dear Snippie ( I have trouble inserting my tampons )
QUESTION:
21 years old. Virgin.
I have a friend thats frustrated… so frustrated its making her cry and very upset. For awhile now, during her time of the month, she has been trying to insert a tampon but something is NOT allowing her to do so. She can’t figure it out and she is getting sick and tired of using the pads. I’m not quite sure what to tell her other than ask a doctor, but she is shy and is scared. She’s never had a pap.I was hoping I could get a little insight from you, to possibly help her out.ANSWER:
She needs to see a doctor. She cant be shy about stuff like that. The doctor could tell her what’s going on. Never ignore any bad signs with your vagina. Even if you think its small or nothing. You want the clarification from a doctor that its nothing. She should also try a different angel. Lying down. Foot propped up onto the toilet. Also putting some Vaseline over the cardboard area of the tampon to insert might help some too.
Send your SEX questions to:
dearsnippie@gmail.com
Include Ages, M/F, and details for all people involved.
Now tell me what you think?Please rec
this post.
The more recs I get, the more questions I get to answer.
Thanks
, Snippie
Comments (52)
Definitely see a doctor…for sure! She may just need to relax too. She has to remember that her JJ is a muscle. If she’s all tense it can be tense too. I’d say we’ve all experienced this problem a time or two but if it is a problem that won’t go away it’s DEFINITELY time to see a doc.
Yes a broken vagina is nothing to toy with.
i am so glad you posted this, i have troubles inserting my tampons too
Get that checked out ASAP.
Vaginismus, sweetheart. Look it up, it might be the issue. That, or possibly a hymen that is thicker than normal.
@nomdeinternet - Dude I told you I was sorry for the anal ravaging I instilled upon you last night…but tampons are for periods…
maybe try diff positions while trying to insert?
I don’t have to worry about this anymore BUT, when I used to have those “monthlies” I had to insert tampons at an angle. Tell her to try propping one leg on the toilet while keeping the other on the floor. I have a really prominent bone that used to get in the way a bit and doing it like that would always work.
BUT, I still say…see a dr.
get that checked out for sure.
Try inserting it from different positions. If you read the insert in all of the tampon boxes (am I the only who has ever read them?), they show sitting down and standing with one foot on the toilet. Sometimes one position is easier than the other.
Try inserting the tampon on your heaviest day. The extra lube provided by the heavy flow will make it much easier as well.
And like @ilovemy2babyboys said, RELAX! Getting worked up about it only makes the muscles tighten.
I screamed like a crazy woman during my first pap, and yes, I was a virgin. I think the fear and insecurity can make it worse than it really is. Getting medical advice from a doctor is a great way to calm her down and give her more confidence.
Start with one of those super thin tampons with the suggestions from everyone else – different angles and whatnot. I had a heck of a time my first time because I didn’t understand how that hole worked. Once you figure out the angle (and in my case, break the hymen – not sure if that happens for everyone…?), it should be alright unless there’s something funky going on up there, in which case go to the doctor.
wow, i didnt know that could suddenly be a problem!
good to know.
A tilted uterus? Well, that’s a strange answer…
i agree with snippie’s advice on this one. see a doctor, don’t delay.
yeah.. or she left an old one in there.. ugggghhhhhhhhhh … omg. CHANGE THE SUBJECT SNIPPIE!!!! I’M GETTING SICK!
@SerenaDante - i agree. i think it’s probably a thick hymen that might need to be surgically removed.
either it’ll be removed now in order for her to use tampons, or later when she wants to have sex/children. she should definitely see the doctor.
vaseline is NOT meant to be used internally…. IE.. not on tampons!!! go see a doctor.. its more than likely her hymen or a titled uterus (my problem also)
@_@ … so much for simply inserting a tampon, eh? ….
@twiggy_bamboo - Wait… what could result from using vaseline?
Here’s a very useful article about vaginismus, which many women have in milder or stronger forms: http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/article/node/1074
@SerenaDante - :( … thats kinda depressing …
to relax and seeing a doctor is the best thing to do.
@BenevolentOne - i dont reall know… but it says “not for internal use” right on the packaging…..i think it may be a warning mainly for condoms… but why risk it….. you can try it out and tell me if you like
if the girl with said problem needs lube she should use the lube in the condom section at the drug store.. its more safe
@twiggy_bamboo - Okay… well… how about lubrication that is meant for internal use, such as KY?
Well, I first have to ask Snippie to clarify the whole tilted uterus thing: I guess I have always thought that our vaginas angled naturally, despite the position of our uterus. so I’m kinda puzzled and also intrigued by that statement.
Now to the actual quesiton at hand:
Firstly, I would reccomend that this friend get comfortable with her girl parts. Get a mirror, good lighting, a pillow and get know where you are aiming that tampon before you need one. Knowing how your body works outside in will help eliminate the frustration on D-Day. Use your fingers to feel your way around so that when the time arrives, you have a better sense of what you are doing.
Then I reccomend changing the brand of tampon. I have a hard time with cardboard applicators and find that something like Tampax Pearl tampons are a great alternative. I can’t even phathom tampons with no applicators. I’m just not that cool.
The trick is getting the angel right. It could be that she’s hitting her vaginal wall and preventing the tampon from going any further. It takes some tweaking and practice to figure out the right angle to glide that baby in at. That’s where being familar with your body comes in handy.
As other’s have said, change positions… do what works. If sitting down doesn’t help, prop up on leg, you can even lay down if you think it might help. Before each attempt, take a deep breath, tell yourself a joke and relax a little. Its not always as simple as it looks and practice makes perfect.
If none of this works, there could be an underlying physical problem. At 21, its about time to visit the vagina doctor issue or not. That’s just a good health practice, especially since girl parts are complicated little devils. You’ve probably will get to skip the “Welcome to the Vag Doctor” video I got to see when I was 15, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
@SerenaDante - That’s what I’m thinking, also. Either a thick hymen or vaginismus.
Definitely get that checked.
@BenevolentOne I’m thinking…(And that’s all it is is a thought mind you) But I’m thinking the use of vaseline on a tampon might just repell the blood it is suppose to soak up…I know…I know
A friend of mine had this issue. It’s nothing to take lightly (and nothing to be ashamed of either). I would first tell her to talk to her mother, and hopefully her mother can get her to the doctor.
I agree that seeing a doctor is a good idea. It can’t hurt to be sure that there’s no physical reason for the problem. I had a lot of trouble when I first started using tampons and I went to the doctor he said I was just very tiny and have very strong muscles. He suggested using a smaller tampon with a plastic applicator, using ky jelly and squatting to insert the tampon.
I wonder if this is a new development or if she’s never been able to insert tampons? If she used to use them without problems in the past and only recently became unable, I would definitely see a doctor just to make sure everything’s all right. If it’s just that it’s her first time, then I agree with everyone else about relaxing and trying different angles and smaller tampons. Also, putting a tiny dab of lube on the end might help if she’s too dry.
I’m all for keeping vaginas healthy. I just thought I would lay that out.
I think you should see a doctor or loosen up a bit, being tense is a terrible thing when doing this.
She probably just needs to relax. But I agree with Snippie. Get some of the doc’s advice.
@nomdeinternet - lmfao.
yes, she definitely needs to see her doctor b/c it’s possible something got infected before or maybe she has a growth or something. i have a cousin who was a virgin on her wedding night and had to be taken to the emergency room b/c apparently her vaginal opening was mostly closed. it had to be surgically opened. so who knows..it coudl be an anomaly like that. (?)
I had that sort of dilemma when I didn’t really want to use tampons. Nothing was wrong, I just didn’t want to use them. Once I got over it…all was good. If that’s not the case for her, I’d say go to the doctor.
She could be a little too tense when she’s inserting it
If she’s a virgin, it could be her hymen. Some women don’t have the similar crescent moon shaped hymen. Others may have a completely or almost completely blocked hymen called
Microperforate/Septate hymens. The hymen can be easily removed.
She should definitely see a gynaecologist.
see http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/hymen.html for more information.
21 years old and still never had a PAP?!?!? Wow… she needs to get one STAT.
gross….and entertaining
I had hymen issues when I was younger (don’t know the specifics), but I couldn’t use tampons until after I lost my virginity. Well, technically, my hymen only stretched the first time, and didn’t break until the second. Yay for weird vaginas!
lube could be helpful too!
not a lot, obviously.. but it’s not harmful to your body.
@Ima_BearKat -
so… What do they do during a pap test?
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@philanthropic_sinner - Nothing that major. They just have to “go in” and take a swab to test. Tell the doctor if it’s your first time for the test and if you’re still a virgin. A good one will explain everything and be super gentle.
@SerenaDante - Yep. I definitely have that.
@SerenaDante - I agree with you. But that article really is depressing.:(
I first treid using tampons when I was 15 and boy, was it tough. and it hurt.
But after a while, and tampon ‘innovations’ ie: the silk covering, I got the hang of it, even though I only used the mild/regular flow ones.
Not anymore though.
tampon looks like it hurts to put on
I think she just needs to relax
Thanks
This helps a lot for me 
We have hammers for a reason, you know.
My friend had a really thick hymen and had to have a surgical procedure done to remove it. Maybe the hymen is too thick for a tampon? Ask the doctor about it. Good luck!
It’s been know to happen that you already have one in there that you’ve forgotten about. LOL. I won’t tell you how I know this.