Being a Teen by Jane Fonda Read Free Book Online Page B

pipes.
    Pads
    Sanitary pads (also called “napkins”) fit inside the crotch of your underpants. They’re held in place by a piece of adhesive tape that fastens them to the crotch fabric. Some pads have tape just on the back, and others have side wings that also wrap around the crotch to hold them more firmly. You pull off the strip of paper over the tape and press the pad into place. When the pad becomes almost saturated, just pull it off and dispose of it in a garbage.
    Some girls like pads because they’re simple to use and quick to change, and with them it is easy to see what’s going on with your flow. They don’t irritate your vagina and won’t cause infection.
    Pads come in all sizes, shapes, and widths. They also vary in thickness from “maxi pads,” for heavier flows, to “mini pads,” for lighter flows. Try different types to decide which does the best job for which day and feels the most comfortable.
    Tampons
    Some girls use both a pad and a tampon during the heaviest days of flow. By the way, using tampons doesn’t make you a nonvirgin! A tampon fits inside the vagina, where it’s held in place by the muscles. It has a string that hangs outside yourbody so that you can pull it out. If the string works its way into your vagina, you can use a finger to pull it back down, or you can always use your fingers to pull the tampon out.

    Some teenage girls can use tampons as soon as they startmenstruating. They keep you dry, they don’t show under any clothing, and they can be worn while swimming.
    Like pads, tampons are made in different thicknesses for heavier and lighter flows, from “junior” to “super plus.” They also come with different types of applicators:
• Cardboard applicator
• Plastic applicator
• Stick applicator
• No applicator—you push in the tampon with your finger.

    It’s best at first to use the slimmest tampons and those that are inserted with an applicator—many girls like the plastic ones that have rounded tips.Try larger tampons, or the type that you push in with your finger, after you get used to them.
    How to Insert a Tampon
    When you first try a tampon, remove the outer wrapper. Holding it in the middle with your thumb and middle finger, use your forefingers to practice pushing it back and forth through the applicator. Remove the sheet of paper from the box, read the instructions, and look at the diagram. Decide whether you want to try inserting the tampon while sitting on the toilet, standing with one foot on the toilet, or lying down. Most important, be sure to relax!
• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Never use a tampon with a torn wrapper.
• Make sure that the string hangs outside the bottom of the applicator.
• You might want to put a dab of lubricant, like K-Y jelly or Vaseline, on the tip of the tampon so that it will be easier to slide it into the vagina.
• Use your other hand to find your vaginal opening,and spread it apart with your fingers. If you need to, look in a hand mirror.
• Take a deep breath, relax, and slide in the tip of the applicator, aiming it at a slight angle toward your back. This will not hurt.
• Guide the applicator into your vagina until your fingers touch your body, then use your forefinger to push on the inner tube until the tampon is all the way into your vagina.
• Pull out the applicator and throw it into the trash.
• Check that the tampon string hangs between your thighs.
• You should not feel the tampon in place. If you do, it’s probably not inserted far enough in. You can either push it farther in with your finger or pull it out and start over with a new tampon.
• Wash your hands again when you’re finished.
• To remove the tampon, just relax and pull it out with the string, and dispose of it in the garbage, not the toilet.

    Don’t feel bad if at first it’s hard for you to insert a tampon. And don’t worry if you poke yourself, because you won’t do any damage. Just keep practicing. And by the way, the