Rest assured, you’re not bleeding from one side! The reason why half of your tampon is soiled may be due to sheer coincidence, or it may be due to changing your tampon too often. Sometimes changing your tampon too often can lead to some illusions such as one side of your tampon being white or even all of it being white (leading you to think that your period is over when it’s not). It doesn’t mean that that side of you is bleeding; rather, it means that you left the tampon in there long enough to catch only that amount of blood which happened to fall on that side. It’s recommended to change your tampon every four to eight hours – more frequently if it’s a heavy flow. But because there’s some white on your tampon, it seems that your flow isn’t too heavy, so let your tampon sit up there long enough to soil that other side of it (or switch to a lower absorbency).
This has happened to me before, but I attributed it to just a lighter flow. You did not mention that you were in pain so I would not worry especially; just check out health expert Dr. Molly’s answer.
Actually your flow is fine, it's just that your tampon is sitting on the same side in the vagina and so blood trickles onto only one part. Here's how it works: At the top of your vagina is your cervix which is the opening to uterus and where your period blood flows out from the uterus into the vagina. At the top of the vagina near the cervix there is a bit more room than down lower to accommodate the head of his penis when you have sex. When you put the tampon in, it may not sit exactly underneath the small hole in the cervix but rather off just a bit to one side or the other. When your period flows out of the little hole in the cervix, it tracks along the side of the tampon rather than the central top area so the blood only appears on one side of the tampon. No worries!
Peer Answer: Before having my period managed by birth control, the length of time between my periods varied between 25 and 27 days. But it was never like clockwork. Each month was a little different from the next....
Learn MorePeer Answer: It sounds like you need a new doctor! Even though it's a healthcare professional's job to help us figure out complex medical issues, it's important to find a person you trust and who will take the...
Learn MoreThis is not intended to be medical advice. Everybody is different so please make sure to consult your physician if you're having issues. Do not delay or refrain from seeking professional medical advice from your physician because of something you have read on this site.
No matter what time of the month it is, U by Kotex® has something that's right for you.
Allnighter® Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings, Extra Heavy Overnight
U by Kotex® Allnighter® Ultra Thin Extra Heavy Overnight Pads with Wings provide up to 100% leak free...
Security® Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings, Overnight
For all night protection in any sleep position, try U by Kotex® Security® Ultra Thin Overnight Pads with a 60% larger back*.
Teen® Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings, Overnight Protection
Get up to 100% leak free protection with U by Kotex® Ultra Thin Teen Overnight Pads with Wings.
Teen® Pads - Extra Absorbency
Get up to 100% leak free protection with U by Kotex® Extra Absorbency Ultra Thin Teen Pads with Wings, the ONLY pad uniquely sized for teens*.
Cleanwear® Ultra Thin Pads - Heavy Flow With Wings
Get the ultra thin pad that keeps up with you and your day. U by Kotex® CleanWear® Ultra Thin Pads....
Click® Tampons Super - Compact Applicator
Try the #1 compact Tampon and get up to 100% leak free XPRESS-DRI® protection.
Security® Ultra Thin Pads - Long with Wings
Get up to 10 hours of XPRESS-DRI® protection and no harsh ingredients with U by Kotex® Security® Ultra Thin pads.
Tracking is simple! Use our FREE Period Calculator to figure out when your next period starts.