This is quite a private thing to say here but recently I can no longer wear tampons because my anxiety kicks off as I can’t stop thinking about infections or it getting stuck when I’ve got one in.

I’m not entirely sure how to answer this. Because on the one hand which feminine hygiene product one chooses to use is a personal choice. If someone prefers not to use tampons for whatever reason then there are other options so there’s no problem with that. BUT is this part of your OCD? If it is then my suggestion would be different and it would be maybe it is a good idea to try to use them if that’s your personal preference, because if you use them it will help for exposure. When you are able to use them and realize that nothing bad happens when you do, you’ll be able to rid yourself of this obsession.

I am always really concerned about TSS as well. But it is extremely rare, and if you use the lowest absorbency necessary and change it every 8 hours at most, that decreases the chances even more. When I’m particularly worried about TSS, I avoid wearing tampons at night but still wear them during the day. It just makes me feel more reassured.

Not sure if this would help you, but looking at the treatment for whatever illness I’m afraid of often helps me. Like, if my brain is pretty dead-set on the idea that I’m going to develop xyz, I might as well plan for worst-case-scenario, you know? Anyway, from a quick Google search, apparently TSS is very, very rare. Even if you leave it in too long, the people who have had TSS got it from leaving tampons in for a week or so. Even if you do leave it in for a week or so, and then are the one out of 100,00 people (actual statistic, very rare) who’ve gotten TSS before, the symptoms are very flu-like and noticeable. If you suddenly become dizzy and feel sick, you’ll know to go to the doctor. And, not to scare you, but only 2-3 people die from it every year, out of the 110 million-ish women who use tampons regularly. If your anxiety gets really bad, you can always use pads. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, these are so helpful.