I am 12, but big for my age and I have started my periods 1 year ago. I have used pads up till now, and I've got tampons in my draw waiting to be used. I have tried to insert one before, and the Tampax Compak hurt a little, so I just took it out. I find wearing a pad really uncomfortable sometimes. When I insert the Tampon, the string is hanging out, but I can still feel it. I'm wondering how far is the string actually meant to be hanging out? I just want to wear a Tampon because they are cleaner and have less mess.