How to use a tampon

6th February, 2026    |    By  Sexual Health Victoria    |     8
Join Tessa for a practical, no-fuss demonstration on how to use a tampon. Just one of the essential skills we teach in our Relationship and Sexuality Education classes.

Also check the related topics:  

Periods

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Video Transcription

Hey everyone, my name is Tessa. I’m a schools and community educator at Sexual Health Victoria, and today I’m here to talk about what we cover with young people in schools when we’re discussing how to use a tampon for the first time.

Step number one is to make sure your hands are nice and clean. Give them a good wash — singing “Happy Birthday” three times is a great way to make sure you’ve washed them long enough. This helps keep the tampon as clean and hygienic as possible before it’s inserted into the body.

Different brands of tampons come wrapped in different ways, but the key thing is to avoid touching the tampon as much as possible once the wrapper is removed. In this example, the wrapper twists off. After removing it, hold the tampon by the string so you’re gripping it from the base rather than the absorbent part.

When inserting a tampon, it’s helpful to know that the vagina doesn’t sit straight up and down like a pipe. It sits on a slight angle, tilting back towards the spine. Using an open fist can help show the angle the tampon needs to follow. Place the tampon at the entrance to the vagina and gently use your index finger to insert it.

A key thing to remember is that if you can’t feel the tampon once it’s inside, it’s probably been inserted correctly. If it feels uncomfortable, it may be sitting at a strange angle. In that case, it’s okay to gently remove it and try again.

Feeling relaxed is really important. The vagina is a muscle, and when someone feels nervous — especially when using a tampon for the first time — those muscles can tense. No one wants a stressed vagina, we want a happy vagina. Being somewhere you feel calm and safe, and taking a few deep breaths before inserting the tampon, can really help.

Different positions can also make insertion easier. Some people find it helpful to put one foot up on the toilet seat, while others prefer squatting on the ground. Everyone finds what works best for them.

To show what tampons are capable of, we often use a jar of fake period blood. This represents the average amount of blood someone might lose over an entire period. A tampon is designed to be worn for about three to four hours, so it won’t absorb all of this, but it’s impressive to see just how much it can absorb.

If a tampon starts leaking within three to four hours, it can be a sign that it’s too small and that sizing up might help. Tampons come in different sizes and shapes to suit different period flows.

When it’s time to remove a tampon, wrap it in toilet paper or the wrapper and dispose of it in a sanitary bin or a bathroom bin. Tampons should not be flushed down the toilet.