Tampons, explained: with and without an applicator

A tampon is small, and the leaflet inside the box is long. This Column reads it in order: what a tampon is, how it goes in with an applicator and without one, how it comes out, what it is made of, how to dispose of it, and what the Canadian label must say. It is for anyone who has periods and wants to know how tampons work. It does not tell you whether to use one, or which kind.

What it is

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says: “Tampons are inserted into the vagina and absorb menstrual flow before it leaves the body.” There are two kinds. In the FDA’s words: “Some have a plastic or cardboard applicator to help with insertion, and others are inserted with your finger.”

A tampon has a string, or cord, attached to it. After insertion, the string hangs outside the vaginal opening, and it is how the tampon is taken out.

Each tampon is used once.

In Canada, tampons are medical devices. Health Canada’s tampon page says they are “regulated as medical devices”. So a tampon box carries set wording that most period products do not; see “What the label tells you (in Canada)”.

How it’s used

Health Canada says: “Wash your hands before and after inserting a tampon.” SickKids, a Canadian children’s hospital, sets out the steps for both kinds. What follows is a summary, with SickKids’ own words in quotation marks.

With an applicator

Hold the applicator’s outer, larger barrel with your thumb and middle finger. Open the labia and insert the whole outer barrel into the vaginal opening. Then “use your pointer finger to push the smaller, inner barrel through the outer barrel”. Pull out both parts. The tampon stays inside, “with the string/cord hanging outside”.

Without an applicator

There is no barrel. SickKids’ step reads: “Using your middle or pointer finger, push the tampon gently inside the vagina, leaving the string hanging outside the vaginal opening.” This is the kind the FDA describes as “inserted with your finger”.

Taking it out

SickKids: “Grasp the string with your thumb and pointer finger, and gently pull the tampon out at the same angle used for insertion.” Health Canada adds: “Remember to remove each and every tampon.”

How long: the rules, by country

Official voices use different words on wear time. Here they are side by side. None of them is Periodica’s.

A note on words: the French source we cite here says “femmes” (women) in its title. We keep researchers’ words so we report their findings accurately. The Reading Room is for everyone who menstruates.

Official voices use different words on wear time. Here they are side by side.

What it’s made of

Health Canada says tampons are “made from cotton, rayon, or a blend of both materials”.

Where there is an applicator, it is plastic or cardboard. A European nonwovens industry association names “polyester or cotton” for the string.

Canada’s labelling guidance says the label or the leaflet inside must describe the material composition. So the pack is where each maker names its own materials. Materials differ from maker to maker.

This Column makes no judgment about any material, and it does not compare one material with another. It also does not compare tampons that have an applicator with tampons that don’t.

Care or disposal

A tampon is not cleaned or reused. The FDA says: “Tampons are meant to be used one time and then thrown away.” It also says: “The FDA has not authorized reusable tampons and discourages their use.”

SickKids’ steps end with the applicator going in the garbage, not the toilet. A federal guide from the Department of National Defence says: “No period products should be flushed down a toilet…”

Where a used tampon goes depends on your city. Toronto’s Green Bin list includes “Sanitary products (pads, tampons)” (page modified 2026-08-21). That list does not mention applicators or wrappers. The Editor checked Toronto’s rules only. Rules differ from city to city, so check your own city’s waste guide.

What the label tells you (in Canada)

Here is what Canadian rules say about tampons, in the rule-makers’ own words.

Health Canada says tampons are “regulated as medical devices”. They are Class 2 devices, and a tampon must be licensed by Health Canada to be sold in Canada. Licences can be looked up in Health Canada’s Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL).

Health Canada’s labelling guidance has an appendix just for tampons. The front of the pack shows a standard absorbency term; the outer label carries the statement on Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) in English and French. The label or the leaflet inside must also “advise the user on the duration of use and proper hygiene during use” and describe the material composition.

How much each format holds, and why the numbers differ, is in the Column “‘Super’ on a period pad and ‘Super’ on a tampon are not the same thing.”

Common questions

Can I sleep with a tampon in?

Official voices differ, and this Column reports each one. Health Canada says “do not use tampons overnight”. The other voices are in “How long: the rules, by country”, above. Periodica takes no position.

Which absorbency should I start with?

Health Canada says: “Use the lowest absorbency that will meet your needs.” SickKids says: “Choose the lowest-absorbency tampon to meet your needs.” The FDA adds: “If you can wear one tampon up to 8 hours without changing it, the absorbency may be too high.” What each absorbency word means is in “‘Super’ on a period pad and ‘Super’ on a tampon are not the same thing.”, linked above.

Can I use a tampon before my period starts?

Health Canada says: “Do not use tampons until your period begins.”

Can I use tampons all day, every day of my period?

Health Canada advises: “Alternate the use of tampons with external protection, like pads and liners.”

Troubleshooting

It feels uncomfortable.

SickKids’ steps are worth reading again. With an applicator, the whole outer barrel goes into the vaginal opening before the inner barrel is pushed. Removal follows “the same angle used for insertion”. If discomfort or pain continues, that is a conversation for a healthcare provider.

I can’t find the string, or the tampon feels stuck.

The sources the Editor checked describe no technique for this, so this Column gives none. If you can’t find or remove a tampon, contact a healthcare provider. This is where the Editor stops and a healthcare provider begins.

I’m not sure whether a tampon is still in.

Health Canada’s reminder is in “Taking it out”, above. If you are not sure, a healthcare provider can help.

What this is not

This Column reports what health bodies and regulators say about tampons, in their own words. It did not test any product or compare brands. It does not rank tampons against any other format, or tampons with an applicator against tampons without one. It takes no position on wear time. Two people with the same flow choose differently, and both are right.

Next in this series: cups.