This is a team sport and you're refusing to wear the uniform. I don't understand why you didn't make arrengements to have a team uniform that's made to be safe with pad wearers? The couch should have spoken to you with more care but you are in a team sport and are required to wear a uniform. You can't just show up in something different because you didn't plan ahead and hoped to get preferential treatment instead of planning ahead.

The health hazard alone says, YTA. Show me there's no way your blood leaks into the pool... guaranteed, ok. Female swimmer here.

Can you maybe dye it? I don't think he's right btw and the tampon comment was way over the line, but there has to be some compromise if it's a uniform. You definitely shouldn't be excluded for a month though that's unreasonable. Also it's stupid excluding you for 28 days as soon as you're reinstated.....same problem. Have you tried a menstrual cup. In my teens I much preferred them to tampons and no risk of TTS.

YTA. You could have discussed this with your coach as a possible solution beforehand. You are 17 not 13 and you need to step up and have conversations about your health when you need to.

Mochi, I think you need to talk with a doctor about the health risks of using a tampon and your concerns, if you haven’t already. This might relieve some of your fears or help you learn more about your options. But, I think you owe your coach an apology. Were they right to say “wear a tampon”? Maybe not, but you are the one who signed up for a team sport and refused to wear the uniform. You let your coach and team down and you disrespected your coach’s authority. Your coach has every right to not allow you to play for a month because your attitude has proven that you aren’t thinking as a team member but as an individual….and, simply put, they have the right because they are the coach, even if we don’t like it. When a person is in a place of authority over us, we can ask for special treatment but we can’t demand it. (This applies to situations in general. I’m not talking about disabilities, religious convictions, etc…)

You are part of a TEAM. That means, as such, you are required to wear a uniform. If you don't wear the uniform, you don't get to participate. Your feelings, your personal "situation" doesn't have any impact on that. Everyone else does what is required to follow the rules, if you can't don't cry about the consequences.

Ewww...... No offence, but this is a matter of hygiene. Stop being so selfish and think of your teammates.

I'm not sure how good or sanitary the period swimwear is, I mean, kids wear swim diapers and some pools don't allow them because it still contaminates the water. I can't see how this would work on a heavy period day either. I don't like tampons either but I wear them only if I needed to swim and have my period. Now you can find all different types of tampons and some are more comfortable than others. I'd experiment and see what you can do with different sizes and maybe other products like menstrual cups.

Why is everyone flipping out like no woman has ever accidentally bled in the pool/changing room from an over saturated tampon or cup during heavy flow? It's absolute bull shorts to come at this girl like the women's showers and change rooms were utterly pristine before she began to menstruate and chose an alternative to internal products. It's also REALLY WEIRD how hateful everyone is being toward this literal child. ****************************** Mochi it's your body, and it was out of line for your coach, regardless of their gender, to callously expect that every kid is going to be willing to use internal menstrual products just because they say you should. If the coach has been working/volunteering in this position long enough, they should have had resources at hand to offer to kids experiencing your particular dilemma with information regarding your options, and be recommending you talk to your GP, OBGYN, or the school nurse. It would benefit you to avoid asking personal opinion sites for advice on this topic from here out, and instead do some research on actual menstrual health support sites. If you can, make an appointment or ask your parents to make an appointment to speak with a gynecologist. In the meantime, it IS a team sport requiring uniforms. Instead of fighting to wear your pink one, could you get a bikini bottom of the same brand in a less obvious colour to wear under your uniform suit? A bath test would be important if your uniform is lighter.

I used to swim for a team myself. Does a swim meet mean a competition? We only had to wear the same swimsuit to the most important competitions (state championships). For other competitions, the club swim cap was completely sufficient because it was different from other teams' and when we were in the water, the cap was the only thing you could see. I have never worn a tampon because I don't like it, and I have actually skipped training and competitions when I couldn't swim because of my period. This is the first time I've heard of a swimsuit that is suitable for this time of the month, and I think it's really cool. People who think that just because a lot of people use tampons that it's no big deal for everyone are ignorant.

You are on a team sport, and so during meets you need to wear the uniform, even if you are on your period. Its not just about the team looking nice or team requirements, your team could lose points because of you due to meet regulations. (I dont know what youre swimming, but in WIAA swimming, your suit and cap need to either be team, have the american flag, and no logo larger than 2 square inches) Also, you are 17, which is old enough that you should be able to find a work around. You could suck it up for a few hours for the meet, you could use a menstrual cup, its a little gross but you could free bleed in a team suit.

Can't you take the pill continuously to stop your periods altogether, while you are part of the swim team?

Wow. You guys are amazing. Discussing the nuances here. I’m hung up on PERIOD SWIMSUIT. How the….doesn’t seem….logically speaking…what? I couldn’t absorb anything else in the article.

How is the suit "designed to be able to wear when you're on your period"? Does this mean that it's designed to prevent leakage? If so, the school should look into getting the official team suit made that way, even if it would cost more. She would probably not be the only one who'd like to have one.

E everyone saying she's wearing a pad. Maybe I missed something but I would have assumed it is not a pad but an absorbent swimsuit like the make for underwear now. And for those saying contaminants will get in the water, if the garment absorbs it would stop that. Lastly and just my opinion women's competitive swim suits should be made for better coverage like the men's.

You're both wrong, him for commenting on your period hygiene choices and banning you for a ridiculous long time, and you for refusing to wear a uniform when you belong to a team. What should happen is he says you can wear what you want, but you will not compete without your team suit. So you'll sit out until you either wear it or figure out another solution for your period.

Incontinence bathing suits may be an option here. They're meant to prevent poop leakage only, but blood is - literally - thicker than water, and it may be able to hold it in if you have the chance to, without causing a fuzzy situation, leave the water quickly, in case a larger portion came out at once. There may be panties of that sort as well, sealed towards both directions, and if your uniform bathing suit isn't too revealing ... well, the incontinence stuff truly is pretty generous in cut ... but, is there a chance to wear such a panty underneath? Would that still be comfortable enough, would it hinder your performance in the sport? A girlfriend once examined the issue, because her bowel was fine, and yet, she'd rather opt to wear such than, perhaps visibly even, yet not within her means of control, pee into the water. But, she decided for a one-piece anyway, so anyway, panties were out of the question, pretty much. Is it panties, here, or are panties generally underwear only?