Priti (name changed) is a 30-year-old banker from Gurgaon.
Bad timing
Priti’s marriage was exactly a month away. Like any bride-to-be, she was extremely excited and anxious. Apart from the natural apprehensions about life after marriage, her anxiety stemmed from the fact that her periods clashed with her wedding dates. Talk about bad timing!
Priti began losing her mind over this. How would she deal with all the ceremonies, photo shoots and other hectic activities at her big, fat Indian wedding? She usually had a heavy flow on the second and third day of her period. Priti had terrible and embarrassing memories using super absorbent pads. They had leaked, staining her clothes several times and leaving her feeling dirty and wet at public spaces.
She had gone through her own graduation day at college with a jacket wrapped around her waist, to cover her stained sari. Sometimes she’d even tried using double pads but then that was too uncomfortable for her. Priti started exploring her options.
First time with tampons
Until then, she’d never used any pills to delay her cycle. She certainly didn’t want to try it for the first time at her wedding. The only option she could foresee was tampons. But hey, that was a first-time again! She didn’t know anyone who had used them or someone who could help her out. So, with some help from the internet, here’s what she discovered:
- Tampons are NOT just for married women, anyone can use them, even youngsters.
- They are safe and have no side effects or long term health implications.
- Tampons are easy-to-use and not painful at all.
- They are hygienic, clean and easily disposable (just flush them down the toilet).
- Tampons can be used while swimming. Now get into that hot bikini and take a plunge!
- Just like pads, tampons must be changed every four-six hours and should NEVER be left on for more than eight hours.
- Just one word of caution – correct usage of tampons is very critical to avoid any health hazards. It has been reported that use of super absorbent tampons for longer period of time than the maximum stipulated eight hours may lead to a serious condition called the Toxic Shock Syndrome. Due to this, the body responds with a sharp drop in blood pressure that deprives organs of oxygen supply.
And there she was – Priti, glowing with confidence and armed with her new-found friend for her special day.
The big day
Before her big day, Priti picked up a pack of tampons from a pharmacy. She just slipped the pack into her handbag and was impressed by how handy and easy-to-carry they were compared to sanitary pads.
True to her calculations, she got her period just a day before the wedding. Like most women who use tampons for the first time, she had fears of inserting something in her vagina. She knew she had to follow all the simple instructions on the pack. Priti had no trouble sliding it in and wow, once done, she didn’t even feel there was something inside her! “Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier?” she wondered, recollecting some very uncomfortable and embarrassing experiences of the past.
Finally, on her big day, Priti looked like a princess. She seemed comfortable in her wedding ensemble, coy yet confident, silently proud of her new-found wisdom. Marriage indeed turns a girl into a woman.
First published 11 April 2016
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