Even very young women—and certainly many older women who lead physically active lives—may leak urine during vigorous exercise, but that does not mean they all need pessaries or surgery to get them on the court or the playing field, Dr. Michael Moen said at a meeting on women's health sponsored by OB.GYN. NEWS.
“For any woman who has stopped exercising due to leaking, the tampon trick is great,” he said.
He instructs such women to use the largest tampon they can comfortably accommodate using lubrication to act as a buttress supporting the urethra, just as a pessary would.
The tampon trick should only be used during the period of time when a woman knows she will be engaged in doing vigorous activity.
“There's nothing wrong with using a tampon and wearing a pad and getting some biker shorts that have some support,” he emphasized.
The point is to work with women until a way is found for them to engage in activities they enjoy, using whatever works for them, he said.