for March 31, 2000
Q: I read an article recently that said young women experiencing their first periods should not wear tampons. However, the article did not say how long they should wait or why. At what age would you recommend a girl start using tampons?
A:
There is no recommended age a girl should start using tampons once she starts having her periods. The important thing to keep in mind about tampon use is to maintain personal hygiene at all times. The tampon should be changed one to three times daily or more often if necessary.. Tampon use has been associated with toxic shock syndrome, which is a serious side effect due to bacteria accumulating in the tampon and vagina. The bacterial toxins are the cause for TSS; however, the condition is rarely seen. So, basically, there is no determined age at which a girl can use a tampon, but she should use it with care.
Serdar H. Ural, M.D., is an instructor and fellow in Fetal Maternal Medicine in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. In addition to being a member of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, he also belongs to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Baltimore City Medical Society, and Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland.
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