Whenever I use a tampon, no matter what brand, I ALWAYS have to use a liner. I think the blood soaks down the string but yet it never soaks the whole tampon. How do I solve this problem? I'd love to go swimming without worrying about it.

You’re right; this is not what you should expect from using tampon! The blood from your period drains from the uterus through an opening in the cervix, so it should first drain onto the top of the tampon when inserted, not what you are describing.  I am thinking that you could try a few things. First, before inserting the tampon, make sure to wipe well with toilet paper or a soft wipe to clean the vulva. Next, make sure that the tampon is inserted properly (take a look at the awesome how-to video on our website or check the product package insert). If neither of these things works, you could try a different brand of tampon to see if you get a better fit. Good Luck!

Since you’re saying the string is being soaked first, this sounds like it might be an insertion issue. I recommend reading over the directions for the product you are using; just to be sure you are following them correctly. (I occasionally look over the directions that come in the box just for a refresher.) Once the tampon is in place, be sure and give the string and gentle tug (not hard enough to pull it out, but enough to make sure it is sitting right at the opening of the vaginal canal.)

Here’s a link to a video on our website, https://www.ubykotex.com/en-ca/periods/pads-and-tampons/using-a-tampon-for-the-first-time on how to insert a tampon.

You're so not alone on this!  I can think of quite a few times that I've gone to the bathroom to change my tampon only to find the string soaked and the tampon almost unused. I haven't figured out how to totally prevent it, and I think it must have something to do with the way our bodies are shaped. But there are definitely a few things that have helped me in the past, so maybe they'll work for you!

First of all, make sure your tampon is inserted completely. If I'm in a rush and don't insert my tampon correctly (or deeply enough), I'm much more likely to get leakage. Not everyone's body is shaped the same, so you may have to insert it at a slightly different angle than what's shown in the "how-to" diagrams. You could also try buying tampons with leak protection. You'll know if the tampon has leak protection because you'll see some extra material at the base of the string.

If neither of those things do the trick, you can still swim without fear. Often, being submerged in water temporarily blocks your flow, so you don't have to worry about a trail of red behind your breaststroke. Just be careful when you're getting out of the pool because that blocked flow will want to make its escape once the water pressure is gone.