For me the applicators are necessary. I just can't do without. no mess and at least a little bit more sanitary. sometimes i am a real germiphobe.

he asked for a female to make sure he was getting the right thing. I guess the lady thought he was embarrassed. Wasnt embarrassed until afterward. i felt horrible. So, i make doubly sure it never happens again.

So here are the options we women face in selecting products for monthly blood removal: Maxipads- which is like having a twin-sized mattress strapped to the inside of the thighs. They come complete with sticky backing that somehow never seems to stay stuck onto the panties but manages to work its way into pulling out some rug hairs. Tampons- which is the act of sending in specialized, trained units of tight cotton balls with strings tied to them for retrieval once their bloody mission is accomplished. Washable cotton rags- which is essentially maxipads for uber-hippies who don't care about having a bloody rag between the legs. Catch-all cootch cups- which is a scary idea for me to even think about as I only learned of their existence yesterday. The whole bloody mess has its downsides, so let's go with the more pedestrian selection of the cotton shovin' goodness we call 'tampons.'

Even in this field, we have choices, all with their own evils. First, the plastic applicators. Lets just say that with the set-up of restroom facilities and typical cleanliness factors, plastic applicators don't exactly make their way to the recycling facility. Imagine how much landfill space is wasted on the use-once-and-toss-away plastic tubes that offer 'comfort' to some women. Kind of sickening to think about the mountains of bloody plastic tubes buried within our Earth. Then there are the cardboard ones, which are biodegradable, yes. However, they feel like shoving a wrapping paper tube up the yangyang as its scraping against the fleshy walls on its way in. Finally, we have the non-applicator variety, which only OB currently produces. That requires inserting finger, which has a level of 'eeewww' factor for the uninitiated.

For myself, after years of trial and error and weighing the options of a)destroying the environment, b)tunnel scratch or c)touching myself, I switched to OB. Yeah, the no applicator thing was odd at first, but it is surprisingly clean. If you use good feminine hygiene, then there is no sense in being afraid of your own body for a mere second or two of insertion. For me, I have found that OB is very compact, more absorbent than the others, and better for the environment without having to go full hippie.

Now we have the shortage... great OB. Thanks a LOT, you farking fark-off farkers of farksistan farkidiots. I've even noticed that my local Target completely removed the stock tags for OB from the shelf, which has me worried and headed for extreme measures. I've now had to resort to back-alley deals with shady tampon dealers. I bought a box from a chick around the block the other night, and when I got home, I swear they're just unraveled q-tips with some dental floss tied on. They wouldn't absorb a drop if I threw one into the Mississippi, dammit! Guess I won't be hitting the farking knock-off OBs for my red river week. Grrr....fark you OB!

Now, I wait. I sit perched upon the highest tree branch in my green camo, awaiting my prey... the delivery truck at CVS.


/The more you know!
//and didn't want to know...
///ragging like the elevator door scene in The Shining.
////you know where that came from.

Aleave: For me the applicators are necessary. I just can't do without. no mess and at least a little bit more sanitary. sometimes i am a real germiphobe.

he asked for a female to make sure he was getting the right thing. I guess the lady thought he was embarrassed. Wasnt embarrassed until afterward. i felt horrible. So, i make doubly sure it never happens again.

so, you just stopped having periods? you cand DO that????

Aleave: I can't see myself using anything without an applicator. And if you changed them out when you are supposed to you wouldn't have leakage issues.

I suggest you try it! It's a lot more comfortable because you can get the tampon to exactly the right place. And applicators aren't curved the way your anatomy is, so they're never going to be as comfortable as your fingertip. I don't like the way plastic or cardboard feels.

Also, OBs work better against leaks because you widen the base of it before you apply it. So it is leakproof right away at the base of the product. It's also much better than Tampax on heavier flow days... sure, you could switch out your tampon every hour but that will just irritate your vaginal walls.

Finally, there's less garbage and they take up less space in your bag. So much more discreet.

I'm thinking of trying the diva cup though because a) all the people I know who've tried it love it, and b) supposedly you only have to change it at morning and at night, and that seems ultra-convenient... I am a germophobe and I absolutely cannot bear the thought of leaving in a tampon in after I pee, so I go through way more than necessary.

In other news, toxic shock syndrome deaths are now down to 0

EponymousE: So here are the options we women face in selecting products for monthly blood removal: Maxipads- which is like having a twin-sized mattress strapped to the inside of the thighs. They come complete with sticky backing that somehow never seems to stay stuck onto the panties but manages to work its way into pulling out some rug hairs. Tampons- which is the act of sending in specialized, trained units of tight cotton balls with strings tied to them for retrieval once their bloody mission is accomplished. Washable cotton rags- which is essentially maxipads for uber-hippies who don't care about having a bloody rag between the legs. Catch-all cootch cups- which is a scary idea for me to even think about as I only learned of their existence yesterday. The whole bloody mess has its downsides, so let's go with the more pedestrian selection of the cotton shovin' goodness we call 'tampons.'

Even in this field, we have choices, all with their own evils. First, the plastic applicators. Lets just say that with the set-up of restroom facilities and typical cleanliness factors, plastic applicators don't exactly make their way to the recycling facility. Imagine how much landfill space is wasted on the use-once-and-toss-away plastic tubes that offer 'comfort' to some women. Kind of sickening to think about the mountains of bloody plastic tubes buried within our Earth. Then there are the cardboard ones, which are biodegradable, yes. However, they feel like shoving a wrapping paper tube up the yangyang as its scraping against the fleshy walls on its way in. Finally, we have the non-applicator variety, which only OB currently produces. That requires inserting finger, which has a level of 'eeewww' factor for the uninitiated.

For myself, after years of trial and error and weighing the options of a)destroying the environment, b)tunnel scratch or c)touching myself, I switched to OB. Yeah, the no applicator thing was odd at first, but it is surprisingly clean. If you use good feminine hygiene, then there is no sense in being afraid of your own body for a mere second or two of insertion. For me, I have found that OB is very compact, more absorbent than the others, and better for the environment without having to go full hippie.

Now we have the shortage... great OB. Thanks a LOT, you farking fark-off farkers of farksistan farkidiots. I've even noticed that my local Target completely removed the stock tags for OB from the shelf, which has me worried and headed for extreme measures. I've now had to resort to back-alley deals with shady tampon dealers. I bought a box from a chick around the block the other night, and when I got home, I swear they're just unraveled q-tips with some dental floss tied on. They wouldn't absorb a drop if I threw one into the Mississippi, dammit! Guess I won't be hitting the farking knock-off OBs for my red river week. Grrr....fark you OB!

Now, I wait. I sit perched upon the highest tree branch in my green camo, awaiting my prey... the delivery truck at CVS.


/The more you know!
//and didn't want to know...
///ragging like the elevator door scene in The Shining.
////you know where that came from.

That was funny as hell!
I switched back to applicator type when I was travelling and not always assured of washing my hands before or after. At home I use the Natracare.
I got no problems touching myself with my hand, a shower massage, etc.

yes i am very very southern.
yes i am slightly young
to clarify a bit better i tried ob once. And only once. I just cant do it.
and yes. Its magic.

Aleave:
I'm thinking of trying the diva cup though because a) all the people I know who've tried it love it, and b) supposedly you only have to change it at morning and at night, and that seems ultra-convenient...

The only problem is you have to take it out before going number 2, or otherwise you'll drop it in the toilet. Also you have to boil it 20 minutes before you put it in the first time on your first day, as well as having to wash it with DivaWash every time you remove/reinsert it.

Plus... if you're small like me.... you can forget about it not hurting all day.

AbbeySomeone: Here's a question for all you farkers that really have women in your lives.
When she asks you to pick up "feminine hygiene products", ie, plugs, pads, etc, do you know what to get?

I don't have a woman in my life, but if I did and she requested same, being nerd-ish, I would have her tell me EXACTLY what she wanted and I would type it into a note on my phone so I could make sure to get the right thing.

Do you cringe like a sissy, creep down the aisle hoping no one sees you and nervously call her 3 times describing the brands and sizes?

Fark no, I wouldn't! I've NEVER understood a guy's trepidation at buying tampons for his woman. Why the embarrassment? "I'm buying them for my wife/gf." All the women around you would think you were a super guy. And why the need for explanation anyway? This is one I just don't get.

OB tampons are nasty. Not as nasty as moon cups, but nasty.

Wow. Really catty shiat going on here.

Ok two more points:

1. There are a lot of OB still in Canada. Should I sell some on the internet? Are ebay prices really that killer? And if you can't find OBs, I can recommend natracare, it's an organic version of the old-style OB, almost identical in terms of design and packaging, and you can find it at Whole Foods and many other natural or hippie style stores.

2. If your whole tampon philosophy revolves around "ew, I can't stick my fingers in my vagina" you need to rethink your relationship with your vagina. I don't want to seem like I'm picking on prudes, but give your vagina some love, find your g-spot, etc. Either your or someone else's fingers should find their way into your vagina on the regular.

Fingerblasting! It's fun for 1+ people.

kiwimoogle84: Genevieve Marie: kiwimoogle84: Genevieve Marie: kiwimoogle84: It was more of a joke, but I usually prep a month or at least a week ahead. If the Mr is going to the store, I don't usually let myself run out to the point where I need them THAT second. Besides I have them stashed all over my two bathrooms, purses, car, etc. I just wouldn't ask him to get them for me, that's not how I personally work as a girlfriend.

/he HAS picked up my refill of birth control for me, however
//that chore is 50-50. :)

I guess I just don't see how these things should be any different than any other errands and why they should exist in a separate category. I mean... I don't let myself run out to the point where I need them immediately, but we do keep a shopping list (as a shared google doc actually) and we both add things to it as we think of them and whoever goes to the store first just grabs everything on the list.

Honestly you're a lucky lady to have a man who will without complaint. In my younger years I ran into a bit of an emergency and my boyfriend looked at me like I had just thrown his tv out the window when I asked him to grab me some. Now I just have a permanent mindset to always do things like that myself.

It's less luck and more that I also dated some pretty misogynistic guys, and eventually I got to the point where I decided that guys who aren't secure enough to handle simple errands if said errands involve things specifically related to women are incredibly unattractive. You weren't wrong to ask that guy to do it- he was just an asshole.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I kind of have the same rule regarding sex on the rag. If a guy refuses to have sex with me for 1/4 of the year, they're gone. :)

/hooray for understanding men!!
//throws confetti

CSS-
My grandfather's funeral... he died suddenly, it was a horrible incident, and naturally I start my flo and had none on the go. I quietly asked my sister in the lobby of the funeral parlor if she had any tampons in her purse. As she was 5 months pregnant, I should have expected the 'hell no' response, but was hoping she had a few leftover somewhere in her bag. Her exhusband overheard us, and loudly in his most redneck voice, "Hey, you need sum teempons? I can run upta Wall-Greeeens an git ya some teenpons! I ain't got no problem wit it, I had 5 sisters growin up an I always hadta git their teempons.. I ain't emmbeeressed at all to buy girl stuff... whatcha use? Tampax?"

For the first time that whole day, the entire parlor of guests were not crying tears of sorrow, but were definitely still crying.

/since my sister is divorced, he's free for any takers. Good heart, lacks social skills.

bobbette: Either your or someone else's fingers should find their way into your vagina on the regular.

Actually he was almost 30 then. never has a problem very loudly asking questions when we are both shoppin and i have to pick up some. Not just at the aisle. Every time he looks in the buggy. for some reason he doesnt quite understand why you dont go walking around the store talking about menstration.

Aleave: Actually he was almost 30 then. never has a problem very loudly asking questions when we are both shoppin and i have to pick up some. Not just at the aisle. Every time he looks in the buggy. for some reason he doesnt quite understand why you dont go walking around the store talking about menstration.

Oh dear.
Bless his heart.

AbbeySomeone:

That was funny as hell!
I switched back to applicator type when I was travelling and not always assured of washing my hands before or after. At home I use the Natracare.
I got no problems touching myself with my hand, a shower massage, etc.

Thanks!
never heard of natracare... should look up since my OB dealer has probably been bused by the red coats at this point.

fatassbastard: bobbette: Either your or someone else's fingers should find their way into your vagina on the regular.

and here i've just been using them for texting.

Fell In Love With a Chair:

The only problem is you have to take it out before going number 2, or otherwise you'll drop it in the toilet. Also you have to boil it 20 minutes before you put it in the first time on your first day, as well as having to wash it with DivaWash every time you remove/reinsert it.

Plus... if you're small like me.... you can forget about it not hurting all day.

Ohh, these points were not in the DivaCup FAQ. Thanks.

Sterilizing is just fine, I'm a germophobe. I'm down with that.

In terms of, um, "smallness", I think I'm below average size? That's good to know. I did try the Instead disposable cup thing and I didn't have problems, although it was kind of huge and at first I had no idea how it would possibly fit comfortably in my vagina.

/that's what she said

Genevieve Marie: EponymousE: never heard of natracare... should look up since my OB dealer has probably been bused by the red coats at this point.

Yea, they're pretty much the exact same thing. Whole Foods has them- I'm not brand loyal, and I shop at Whole Foods pretty regularly, so I grab those about half the time.

7th generation makes one as well, and Trader Joes also sells and organic tampon without applicator.

Came for the obvious Sponge references, but apparently I have to do everything by myself.

(new window)

/ok, strictly seen it's almost the exact opposite of a tampon, but still...

Oops, that was aimed at bobbette, sorry! Long day...

RonEdwards: and here i've just been using them for texting.

Whoa... I use my thumbs, am I doing it wrong?

bobbette: Fell In Love With a Chair:

The only problem is you have to take it out before going number 2, or otherwise you'll drop it in the toilet. Also you have to boil it 20 minutes before you put it in the first time on your first day, as well as having to wash it with DivaWash every time you remove/reinsert it.

Plus... if you're small like me.... you can forget about it not hurting all day.

Ohh, these points were not in the DivaCup FAQ. Thanks.

Sterilizing is just fine, I'm a germophobe. I'm down with that.

In terms of, um, "smallness", I think I'm below average size? That's good to know. I did try the Instead disposable cup thing and I didn't have problems, although it was kind of huge and at first I had no idea how it would possibly fit comfortably in my vagina.

/that's what she said

I was able to manage the disposable cup thing, but it wasn't my bag. As for the Diva cup, my gf gets into the bathtub to do it and cleans it there and relaxes before putting it in. I never ever got the hang of it, you have to fold it in half and insert it, TWIST, and then let go. That means a cup and two fingers to get it in. To get it out is the same procedure- you can't just pull on the stem because it has a vacuum seal inside of you. You have to be able to squeeze it to get it out.

f it starts to slide when it's in, the stem is going to poke you all day from the inside. I tried trimming the stem as per the instructions, but it was hellish. I've heard what happens if you forget to change it. I'd rather deal with a tampon or a pad.

I think the cup works for her because she has ultra heavy flow, and is unemployed. If I had to do that shiat at a job site or an office, I'd go crazy. It doesn't help I'm already a really narrow person, getting it in and out in a bathtub after a nice relaxing bath was still next to impossible, even with help.

bobbette: I had no idea how it would possibly fit comfortably in my vagina.

fatassbastard: RonEdwards: and here i've just been using them for texting.

Whoa... I use my thumbs, am I doing it wrong?

Holy shiat...



my life has just changed completely. I have a use for my thumbs! woot!

Genevieve Marie: bobbette: I suggest you try it! It's a lot more comfortable because you can get the tampon to exactly the right place.

Exactly. That's what I was thinking and wasn't sure how to say without graphic detail.

EponymousE: //and didn't want to know...

It's apparently problems with the manufacturing and supply. I'm really curious as to what happened.

My guess is the shortage of strings. I always thought those strings were long enough... who knew they needed to be shorter!

/ba da bam!
//forgive me. long night.

AbbeySomeone: I've never found that stuffing a tampon up my bloody cooch with my finger was better than using an applicator. Hmmm.. maybe it's just me.

oh dear god. I didn't know that, but I wouldn't, would I?

Weren't OB tampons the ones that were giving women TSS, or some other serious problem?

AbbeySomeone: Here's a question for all you farkers that really have women in your lives.
When she asks you to pick up "feminine hygiene products", ie, plugs, pads, etc, do you know what to get?
Do you lovingly toss some flowers and a pint of ice cream in the cart too because you're thoughtful?
OR
Do you cringe like a sissy, creep down the aisle hoping no one sees you and nervously call her 3 times describing the brands and sizes?

Since you asked, here is a csb:

When I was a teen, about 15 or 16, my Mom asked me to run to the pharmacy to get her a box of Modess or Kotex, can't remember what her brand was. I was of course very embarrassed, tried everything to get out of it, but Mom said, "Jamie, I really need you to go and pick them up for me. Just ask the lady at the counter." She even cut the bottom of the box off so I could just hand it to the lady without saying a word. So off I go. The nice lady who worked at the pharmacy wasn't there, only the pharmacist college aged son, who I had a very hard (ha ha) crush on. My face must have been red as a beet and the he asked me what I needed. I handed him the bottom of the box, he nodded, walked away and came back with this huge box of sanitary napkins. As he's ringing up the purchase, he says to me, "is your Dad making you wash and wax the cars today?". Then he goes into this rant about how great napkins are for waxing and polishing cars. He drove a really cool GTO (?, or was it a TransAM?) and it was always so shinny you could see it from the moon, so I figured he knew what he was talking about. If he bought sanitary napkins, so could I.

Suddenly I was no longer embarrassed, that hunky guy completely put me at ease. Two years later when I went to college, I dated the hunky pharmacists son my freshman year when he was a senior. Broke my heart when he left for grad school.

I still see him on occasion, and he will be at my b'day party tomorrow night. I'm going to ask him if he remembers the day I nearly died of embarrassment.

So to answer your question, if my Sister, Niece or a lady friend asks me to pick up some kind of lady thing, I gladly do it. Wouldn't bother me in the least.

What I am doing in this thread I have no idea... Although I have learned quite a bit of information that i probably didnt need to know.

Jamieboy: AbbeySomeone: I've never found that stuffing a tampon up my bloody cooch with my finger was better than using an applicator. Hmmm.. maybe it's just me.

oh dear god. I didn't know that, but I wouldn't, would I?

Weren't OB tampons the ones that were giving women TSS, or some other serious problem?

AbbeySomeone: Here's a question for all you farkers that really have women in your lives.
When she asks you to pick up "feminine hygiene products", ie, plugs, pads, etc, do you know what to get?
Do you lovingly toss some flowers and a pint of ice cream in the cart too because you're thoughtful?
OR
Do you cringe like a sissy, creep down the aisle hoping no one sees you and nervously call her 3 times describing the brands and sizes?

Since you asked, here is a csb:

When I was a teen, about 15 or 16, my Mom asked me to run to the pharmacy to get her a box of Modess or Kotex, can't remember what her brand was. I was of course very embarrassed, tried everything to get out of it, but Mom said, "Jamie, I really need you to go and pick them up for me. Just ask the lady at the counter." She even cut the bottom of the box off so I could just hand it to the lady without saying a word. So off I go. The nice lady who worked at the pharmacy wasn't there, only the pharmacist college aged son, who I had a very hard (ha ha) crush on. My face must have been red as a beet and the he asked me what I needed. I handed him the bottom of the box, he nodded, walked away and came back with this huge box of sanitary napkins. As he's ringing up the purchase, he says to me, "is your Dad making you wash and wax the cars today?". Then he goes into this rant about how great napkins are for waxing and polishing cars. He drove a really cool GTO (?, or was it a TransAM?) and it was always so shinny you could see it from the moon, so I figured he knew what he was talking about. If he bought sanitary napkins, so could I.

Suddenly I was no longer embarrassed, that hunky guy completely put me at ease. Two years later when I went to college, I dated the hunky pharmacists son my freshman year when he was a senior. Broke my heart when he left for grad school.

I still see him on occasion, and he will be at my b'day party tomorrow night. I'm going to ask him if he remembers the day I nearly died of embarrassment.

So to answer your question, if my Sister, Niece or a lady friend asks me to pick up some kind of lady thing, I gladly do it. Wouldn't bother me in the least.

CSB
Happy Birthday

jeffrey626: What I am doing in this thread I have no idea... Although I have learned quite a bit of information that i probably didnt need to know.

Some of these tidbits may come in useful someday.

really enlightening.

next thing someone will tell me that women hover or something when using the restroom in public.

No one has posted this (new window) yet?

AbbeySomeone: Here's a question for all you farkers that really have women in your lives.
When she asks you to pick up "feminine hygiene products", ie, plugs, pads, etc, do you know what to get?
Do you lovingly toss some flowers and a pint of ice cream in the cart too because you're thoughtful?
OR
Do you cringe like a sissy, creep down the aisle hoping no one sees you and nervously call her 3 times describing the brands and sizes?

well when i've had a girlfriend ask, I've got her what she asked for....sometimes flowers, not ice cream usually unless she wants it

/currently don't have to worry about it