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I Used Vick's Vaporub To Lubricate A Tampon!

Reader Stories: Your Most Embarrassing Menstrual Moment

From Josefina Pizarro

Updated June 25, 2010

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When Did Your Embarrassing Menstrual Moment Happen?

I was about 14 years old and had been menstruating about a year or so. It was summertime and a large group of friends were headed on a bus trip to Ocean City for the day.

So, for the first time I was faced with the thought of using a tampon so that I could go into the water. Well, being so young and tender, I had heard that a tampon would be easier to insert if you apply a cream or ointment.

That being said, I reached for the ointment I knew and trusted most. One that my mother seemed to use for everything -- Vick's Vaporub!

Need I say more. WOW! What a rush!

What Happened?

Obviously, I wish I had known more about what creams and/or ointments were the best to use. I think I was then deterred from using tampons well into my later years when I no longer needed any help for the insertion.

Advice

  • My advice is to suggest using something that is quite gentle, non-abrasive and something that can be used internally and on open skin. There are lots of new things, even herbal creams on the market, including KY gels. You can just ask a female pharmacist for the most natural and current products for this purpose. They know the products well and they will counsel you rather privately on the side of the counter.
  • Anyhow, I now laugh along with my friends when I tell this story. So have a good laugh on me and do not do what I did. Get your information straight from the pharmacist.

Tracee Cornforth, Women's Health Guide, says:

If you need to use lubrication to insert a tampon, always use a water-based lubricant such as K-Y Jelly or Astroglide. Never use a product that contains petroleum such as Vaseline -- petroleum-based lubricants can create a breeding ground for vaginal infections. Always read the ingredient list on any product you're considering buying before you buy it!

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