Tampon absorbency is the rating, printed on every box, of how much menstrual fluid a tampon is designed to hold. Thanks to the FDA, these terms are standardized, so 'Regular' from one brand absorbs the same range as 'Regular' from another. That was not always true, and the standardization came directly out of the toxic shock syndrome crisis of the early 1980s.
The absorbency ladder
From least to most absorbent:
- Light: up to 6 grams of fluid
- Regular: 6 to 9 grams
- Super: 9 to 12 grams
- Super Plus: 12 to 15 grams
- (Ultra: 15 to 18 grams, less common)
Why this is a safety number, not just convenience
Here is the rule that matters most: use the lowest absorbency that handles your flow. A tampon more absorbent than you need is the central, well-documented risk factor for toxic shock syndrome. The early-1980s outbreak was tied to super-absorbent tampons, and the simple fix, matching absorbency to flow, is what the FDA, CDC, and Mayo Clinic all recommend.
A quick self-check: if you can wear a tampon for the full recommended time and it is not close to saturated when you remove it, you are using one that is too absorbent. Size down.
This is why R3 treats a brand offering a full range, light through super-plus, as a small positive: it lets you match absorbency to your actual flow on every day of your cycle, including the light days when a lower absorbency is safest.
