Q  Is it possible to have two tampons in at the same time? I can't remember if I took the old one out before inserting the new one.

A Yes, it's possible to have two tampons in at the same time. In fact, it's not unusual for a woman to forget she has a tampon in or to forget that she removed her tampon.

This is especially true in the middle of the night.

When we get up in the morning, we don't always remember that we were up in the night to use the bathroom. It's also possible for a tampon to come out during a bowel movement without a woman realizing it.

Forgotten tampons will usually result in an unpleasant odor or unusual vaginal discharge. If in doubt, you can seek evaluation by a health care provider who can easily check to see if there is a "forgotten" tampon inside your vagina.

In fact, it's pretty common for women to come to UHS stating they don't remember taking their tampon out and when we check, sometimes we find a tampon and sometimes we don't. When we don't, it's always a mystery of when and how it came out.

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This column is not intended to replace advice from your personal clinician. If conditions persist, see a clinician.