Tampons 101: Can You Pee With A Tampon In?

The rumours are true, I am a weird scarlet-haired combination…

Tampons are a hygiene product that absorb the menstrual flow during women periods. The process of putting a tampon includes inserting it inside your vagina, that’s why a common question people ask is “What happens when you pee?”, “Can you pee with a tampon in, first of all?” So, many women are unsure if it’s even possible to wear a tampon and urinate. This can keep them from using tampons since they don’t want to change it every time they pee or they think they can somehow disrupt their periods. Well, there is nothing to worry about. Wearing tampons doesn’t affect urination at all, and you don’t necessarily have to change your tampon after yourself pee.

However, the right way to start with the answer to the question this article is about, let’s go to the basic sexual anatomy of women first. Urine comes out of your urethra, whereas period blood comes out of another opening, which is your vagina.

So, urethra and the vagina are covered by larger folds of tissue (labia majora). After opening those folds, you can see that there are two openings; near the front of your vagina is a tiny opening. This is the exit of the urethra – the duct that conveys urine out of the body from the bladder, and that in male vertebrates also conveys semen.

So, when you use a tampon, you should insert it underneath the urethra, inside your vaginal opening to stop the menstruation flow. This means that the tampon doesn’t interfere at all with your urethra. Therefore, according to Christine Greves, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, the tampon is not going to hinder your peeing. She says, “It doesn’t cause a residual amount of urine to be left behind.”

However, it is technically possible to have a bladder prolapse, also known as a cystocele. Bladder prolapse is a condition when the bladder drops and bulges into the vagina due to the weakened and stretched tissues which hold the bladder in place. According to Jessica Shepherd, M.D., a minimally invasive gynecologist, if someone experiences this while wearing a tampon, it can reduce the amount of urine. Other than that, tampons won’t cause a problem at all.

can you pee with a tampon in — *Source: Shutterstock*

Is it sanitary peeing with a tampon in?

Although a tampon doesn’t block the flow of urine, urine might get on the tampon string while peeing. But, there shouldn’t be any health repercussions if you accidentally pee on the string, as your urine is sterile (bacteria-free), except when you have a urinary tract infection (UTI).

How to avoid peeing on the tampon string?

Although there isn’t any risk of using a tampon while peeing, many women don’t like the feeling or smell of a wet string. So, to avoid this experience, here are some tips that might help:

Put your hand between your legs and pull the tampon string to the side. Hold it against your thigh as you urinate to keep it dry (be careful not to get urine on your hands). You can also reach behind and pull the string back, toward your anus. However, practice this only if you are not going to defecate. Make sure that the string doesn’t actually touch your anus.
After peeing, you can squeeze the string with a piece of toilet paper or just pat dry thoroughly before pulling up your pants.
Lean forward a bit and start urinating. This can avoid getting the tampon string wet.
Before peeing remove the tampon, and insert a new one after you have finished.

About the third option, Greves says that frequent peeing (every hour) and frequent tampon swapping might be uncomfortable, irritating, and cost a lot.

What to do if the tampon itself gets wet?

If the tampon itself gets wet, it means it wasn’t inserted properly and therefore should be removed and replaced with a new one. You should insert your tampon deep enough into your vagina so no part of the tampon itself is showing, except for the string.

Also, it is not necessary to change your tampon every time you urinate. Replace your tampon with a new one based on how long you’ve had it in. You should not let a tampon longer than eight hours or if your tampon is leaking. If the tampon isn’t ready to be changed, you will notice some resistance while pulling on the string. Also, try to coordinate your tampon with your blood flow. If your menstruation flow is light, don’t use a super absorbent tampon, as it can make removing the tampon uncomfortable.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article: text, graphics, images, and other materials contained are strictly for informational purposes only. The Content is NOT intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice, or treatment. Please ALWAYS seek the advice of a qualified health provider with all the questions that you have related to, or about, a medical condition.