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Hi Aunt Vadge,
I started my period this morning as normal and put a tampon in. It was a little uncomfortable but fine. About an hour later I soaked through my underwear. I took the tampon out and it was barely wet, but the string was soaked. I put another in but kept bleeding. I think I may have cut myself, but I can’t tell.
Sincerely,
Soaked
Age 30, Ventura
Dear Soaked,
A tampon that comes out barely wet while the string is soaked and you’re bleeding through your clothes means the blood isn’t being caught by the tampon — it’s running past it, which usually points to one of two things.
Either your flow is heavy and channelling down the outside of the tampon and along the string (a tampon can sit at an angle or not expand enough to catch a fast, heavy flow), or there’s a small bleeding spot at the vaginal entrance or on the vulva — a little cut or graze — bleeding externally onto the string, separate from your actual period.
The fact you wondered whether you’d cut yourself fits that second possibility.
So have a careful look with a mirror and clean hands at the entrance and the vulva for any obvious split or sore spot. If you find a small cut, treat it gently — plain water, pat dry, cotton underwear, and use pads rather than tampons while it heals so nothing rubs it.
If it’s just heavy flow bypassing the tampon, a higher absorbency, or switching to pads or a menstrual cup for the heavy days, sorts it.
The reasons to see a doctor reasonably promptly are if the bleeding is heavy and not settling, soaks a pad within an hour or two repeatedly, comes with pain, dizziness or feeling faint, or carries on as fresh red blood beyond what a normal period does for you — that’s worth getting checked to find where it’s coming from.
But most often this is flow finding the path of least resistance around the tampon, or a tiny graze, and neither is dangerous.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
