Thank you for replying, Dr. Gunter. Posts like this terrify me. As usual, I appreciate you jumping into the conversation proactively to help dispel misinformation about women’s health products online. A few weeks ago, an adult entertainment star reached out to me because we make a menstrual disc (an FDA cleared, type…

We have an old towel underneath us.

By that logic, there’s no such thing as a lost anything because Earth is a closed system.

They only require the application of spermicide if they are being used for birth control.

You are answering the question of whether or not it would be easier or more convenient. You are incorrectly answering whether it would be safer. You have to realize that.

You can order Softcups (the website claims you can find them at Walgreens and CVS, but in my experience they’re pretty elusive) or soft tampons.

They are sanitary, not sterile. Word choice aside, tampons are officially classified as a medical device. Obviously a higher level of clean than a gd makeup sponge. It’s odd you’re focused on semantics and not actually commenting on how questionable it is to advise people to stick things inside themselves?

Since this is the first time you responded to me, there is no “again”. I can assure you that an individually wrapped tampon, which is expressly made to be inserted in one’s vagina, is cleaner than a makeup sponge which is sitting around with its brethren in an open bag.

Right? This seems like a recipe for disaster (or at least an infection). Tampons are wrapped and sterile for a reason.

Don’t be immature about periods. It’s natural, dude. I’m married to an immature guy who is now on his 40s and he’s okay with periods.

When a real life pro Vag doctor tells you, “stop recommending this, it’s not safe”, the correct response is ‘ok, thanks for the input, let me correct that’.

No. What “really bothers” people is that you’re telling women to put shit in their bodies and didn’t even bother checking with a single medical professional. This article was dumb and irresponsible and you should stop doubling down on your defense.

Thanks for responding. I have a box of tampons at home that says sterile on the box (I’m also in Canada but not sure if that matters). I think the brand is OB? I could be wrong of course. Googling shows me that most aren’t. I don’t actually regularly use tampons anymore (that incident scarred me for life) but I keep…

Tarpons can get stuck. If we are going on anectodal evidence (which is all this article is), I’ve had a tampon get stuck. I didn’t notice it had gone all the way in there until 2 days went by and I noticed a discharge and smell. I freaked out. Felt all the way in found it but couldn’t get it because it had turned/…

No! From my experience, tampons are made specifically for insertion and removal, while makeup sponges aren’t. I would rather lay down a towel and take a quick rinse afterwards than have my SO putting something in her that’s not meant to go there.

But a dead end that’s, uh, deeper than some fingers, right? So conceivably something could get pushed out of reach?

Doing a quick search of “lost tampon” brings up a quite a few panicked stories.

Using subterfuge to have sex the other party is uncomfortable with.

Yes. The answer to that is undeniably yes.

but if you’re trying to avoid alerting a sex partner about your period altogether, this is not a great method