Corrine Aberdeen

With each passing day leading up to your period, the question “what should I wear, hmmm ... pad or tampon?” pops up. Many women compare wearing a pad to wearing a diaper, but tampons also have their pros and cons. Pros include that they’re very discreet—you can even go swimming. Cons include the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), which has been linked to tampon use.TSS is caused by bacteria that thrives in the environment created by a tampon being in your body for too long. To prevent TSS, you should change your tampon every four to eight hours and choose the correct absorbency (light to heavy) for that day. If, while wearing a tampon, you experience ...

• sudden high fever

• sunburn-like rash

• diarrhea

• dizziness/light-headedness/fainting • vomiting

... be sure to immediately remove the tampon and go straight to your doctor. TSS is quite rare, though it can be very serious if it goes untreated.

Tampons are worth trying at least once, maybe on a day when you have lots of time to get comfortable with it, that way you have less to worry about.