And breathe, you can't lose a menstrual cup OR tampon in your vagina
This question has spurred a blog post because of two reasons:
1) It’s an extremely common fear that needs to be addressed
2) It goes to show how little women are educated about their bodies, and how much I want to change this because this just needs knowledge of the anatomy to solve!
So, the answer is no. You cannot lose either in your vagina, and no it won’t be floating around your body, and here is why.
A tampon or menstrual cup, or whatever else goes up there, can only get as high as your cervix. The cervix sits at the top of your vagina (birth canal) and acts as a barrier to the womb. The only things that can enter and exit the womb are: period blood, sperm, discharge, and when a baby arrives! The hole in the cervix is super small and nothing can pass it. When you hear about your cervix needing to dilate during birth, this is the hole getting bigger to allow the baby to pass through.
A tampon or menstrual cup can however, get stuck. This can cause some panic which is perfectly understandable but it’s important to be reassured in that it isn’t going anywhere, it’s perhaps just needing some help to become dislodged.
Reasons that this can happen:
Tampon string breaking - I always give my tampon string a little tug before i insert it just to check it’s not a faulty one (and for context, in all my tampon wearing years this has never happened). However, if it does break, you must stay relaxed. Try pushing down with your vaginal muscles and use a finger to reach it. If you are really having trouble then you must go and see someone to help you remove it.
Tension/Anxiety: Your vagina/pelvic floor muscles are pretty strong. If you are panicked or stressed, your muscles down below are more likely to be tense and therefore holding in/squeezing whatever is inside. It will be really difficult to remove a menstrual cup if you’re tensed up (or tampon) so try your best to get yourself relaxed and you may find it comes out much easier.
If you are really having difficulty removing something from the vagina, you may have to visit a healthcare centre or see a professional in order for them to help you take it out. This is really uncommon but there is the odd chance of it happening, but it is best to try and calm yourself down. It won’t be stuck there forever. A vaginal canal is pretty short and won’t take someone long at all to get it out. Try not to be embarrassed, they will have seen all sorts of scenarios!
Myth: Officially busted.
Image source: www.instagram.com/thehellocup