Can I Swim with a Tampon?

For women, adolescent girls, and other people who menstruate (a term that includes transgender men, non-binary people, agender people, and other gender minorities) menstruation is a regular feature of their lives for many years.

Menstruation is the process by which the lining of the uterus, which is made up of blood and tissue, sloughs off and discharges via the vagina. Menstruation typically occurs on a monthly cycle and means the person is physically capable of becoming pregnant.

Menstruation typically begins sometime between ages 11 and 16 and lasts until menopause, which usually occurs between ages 45 and 55. Across those decades, menstruators get a three- to five-day-long period each month, though certain health conditions and advances in hormonal birth control and other medications mean that’s not always the case.

For many, menstruation can feel like a burden. It can be unpredictable and messy, and it may come with severe cramping, fatigue, acne, bloating, mood changes, and a host of other unwelcome symptoms. It’s something most people learn to deal with, and many just take it stride. For menstruators who are also swimmers, a little extra care and attention can ensure you still have a great swim, no matter what time of the month it is.

Can I Swim on My Period?

Some people still don’t realize that it’s 100% A-OK to swim while you have your period. In fact, being physically active during menstruation may help alleviate cramps and other symptoms. 

When you’re menstruating, it’s best to wear a tampon if you’re going to be swimming.

Tampons are menstrual products sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, and convenience stores all over the planet. They’re small, absorbent cylinders made of a blend of cotton and/or other absorbent fibers that are inserted into the vagina during menstruation to soak up menstrual blood.

When a tampon is inserted correctly into the vagina, it’ll stay in place and no amount of jumping around or hard swimming will dislodge it. Tampons typically have a string attached so that they can be pulled out when it’s time to change them out. They expand as they absorb blood, and you’ll need to use several in succession across the duration of your period.

Christine Kingsley, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and the health and wellness director of the Lung Institute, an online health resource, says that swimming with a tampon is a definite go. “Many female elite athletes still compete while wearing them,” she notes.

Athletes of all levels who menstruate can keep competing through one of life’s natural processes. Remember that charming poolside interview with Chinese backstroker Fu Yuanhui at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she told the world she was on her period and her cramps had interfered with her swimming performance? She placed fourth, proving that you really can swim on your period, even if you don’t feel so hot.

Dispelling Misconceptions About Swimming and Mensuration

The vagina is an internal organ that sits inside the pelvis. When a tampon is inserted fully, it’s covered and not visible to anyone. No one will know you’re on your period unless you tell them. (Just be sure to tuck the string inside your swimsuit.)

Some menstruators, however, worry that swimming while using a tampon might be unhygienic. But the fact is, that’s a misconception and wearing a tampon is the most hygienic thing you can do when going into a swimming pool while on your period. The tampon will absorb the menstrual fluid and prevent it from entering the pool.

There’s also little validity to the worry that you could get water into your vagina or that the tampon will soak up water, aiding in the transfer of bacteria that could cause infection or illness. “This is a misconception because water doesn't easily enter the vagina, nor soak up a tampon,” Kingsley explains.

Nevertheless, if you’re concerned about the potential for water or bacteria ending up where you don’t want it, “you can manage this by using a fresh tampon before you take a dip and switch it out afterward.”

For some menstruators, especially those with heavy periods, the concern about using a tampon while swimming may be more focused on leakage. In that case, “you should have nothing to worry about if you've just replaced a fresh tampon before swimming,” Kingsley says.

In addition, Kingsley says having your period could affect your athletic performance. “A growing body of literature suggests that women's athletic performance is directly affected by the hormonal fluctuations that occur during each phase of the menstrual cycle.”

So far, most of the literature suggests that “during period days when estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest, performance tends to drop. This could also be related to the menstrual symptoms women typically feel during these days.”

If you also have symptoms such cramps, fatigue, or soreness, those “could also make exercise and training uncomfortable and impact motivation to accomplish it.”

Still, for many menstruators, getting to the pool and logging some sort of workout, even on the days they feel a little rundown, can help improve their overall sense of wellbeing and alleviate some of the cramps. So don’t let your period hold you back—get comfortable with how to properly insert a tampon and then get to the pool and enjoy your swim.