There's one big reason for this: tampons are incredibly rare in China – only about 2 % of Chinese women use them; in Europe, the figure is as high as 70%, as compared to about 60 % in the US. Tampons were introduced to China over two decades ago, but they never really caught on and can be hard to find.
In contemporary China, around 98 percent of women use sanitary napkins, while only 1.9 percent use tampons.
There's one big reason for this: tampons are incredibly rare in China– only 2% of Chinese women use them; in Europe, the figure is as high as 70%. Of my female friends who have lived abroad, many aren't endeared towards these white cotton sticks, either. Not a single person I know uses them.
Speaking to DW, several women from different East Asian countries said that in the societies they lived in, virginity was highly valued and using tampons was often associated with hymen destruction. Some spoke about possible health threats, including toxic shock syndrome and urinary tract infections.
tampons appeared on shelves in China in 1993 and are still the only brand sold in stores.
Tampons and pads aren't the be-all and end-all when it comes to menstruation. In Japan, however, they are the two methods most commonly used and sold, and thus the easiest to find.
In China, menstruation taboo has roots in a traditional culture that associates the physiological phenomenon with bad luck and uncleanness. Women are excluded during their menstruation from entering public realms such as temples, ceremonies and ancestral halls.
Meanwhile, not even one tampon is sold on average each year to women in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Kenya, Morocco and Thailand.
It's all about the Qi. The reason why Chinese women don't use tampons has to do both with the lack of a tampon 'culture' which, in the USA was created by marketing from tampon companies, but also because of the shared cultural context between Chinese culture and Chinese medicine.
Pads are still more common in countries where there's still a stigma about, or lack of awareness of, using tampons. But they're also a very popular option for Australian women, who buy 500 million pads a year.
Safety is first
But still, there are chances of getting TSS when you're using a sanitary pad, but the risk is the same as not using any feminine hygiene protection. But tampons can increase your chances of TSS compared to pads, so better know the symptoms and what to do if you think you have it.
Aussie tampons are a lot more compact and come with a leakproof barrier (the blue line), while American ones look a bit more "organic" and "natural" according to Beck. Also, look at the string difference! The American one is a full-on tail.
Tampons are required to comply with Therapeutic Goods (Standards for Tampons) (TGO 103) Order 2019 before they can be supplied in Australia. This order states that the Australian Standard "AS 2869:2008 Tampons - Menstrual" is currently the applicable standard for menstrual tampons in Australia.
According to TCM, the blood that gives life (blood shared by a pregnant mother and her unborn child) was understood to be positive and innately feminine. Blood that flows from the body (menstrual blood) is still feminine but also impure and, therefore, should be kept private.
South and South East Asia. In some portions of South Asia, there is a menstrual taboo, with it frequently being considered impure. Restrictions on movement, behaviour and eating are frequently placed. According to a 2018 study, more than one-third of girls across South Asia do not go to school during menstruation.
They are available but I find them not as popular as in the European countries. Sanitary pads are much more common. Tampons are definitely still available but perhaps a smaller variety? If you cant find them in the convenience stores, check out the bigger supermarkets or drugstores.
Most Muslim women wear sanitary pads during their period, and will not use tampons or menstrual cups until they are married.
Any girl who has her period can use a tampon. Tampons work just as well for girls who are virgins as they do for girls who have had sex. And even though using a tampon can occasionally cause a girl's hymen to stretch or tear, it does not cause a girl to lose her virginity.
Religious and cultural conservatism about tampons has existed for as long as they have. Shortly after tampons were invented in 1929, Catholic priests denounced unmarried women's use of tampons because they believed tampons compromised virginity.
That, by eschewing the more “discreet” option, renders them less feminist, less empowered, less hip. Figures are rubbery but in the United States it is estimated 42% of women use tampons (and likely not exclusively), compared to 62% using pads.
Since there is less knowledge about tampons and menstrual cups, the shopkeepers don't have high enough demand to stock up on them. A lot of women who might even know about such products are too shy to ask for them or might choose not to use them given the taboo around them.
Scotland has become the first country in the world to make period products free for all. There is now a legal duty on local authorities to provide free items such as tampons and sanitary pads to "anyone who needs them".
According to a Chinese consumer survey on sanitary pads in 2020, about 67 percent of female respondents stated that their menstrual periods usually lasted between four to six days. A majority of the surveyed consumers said that they often used three to four daily sanitary napkins per day during menstruation.
Population in China 2012-2022, by gender
In 2022, there were around 722 million male inhabitants and 690 million female inhabitants living in China, amounting to around 1.41 billion people in total.
When cramps enter the public debate. On Sunday, Anhui province introduced new regulations allowing female workers who suffer severe menstrual pain to take one to two days off every month, after presenting a doctor's certificate. Menstrual leave is already provided in Shanxi and Hubei provinces.