Six 12-Year Olds Who Are Convinced They Have Toxic Shock Syndrome Right Now

Claire knows that toxic shock syndrome is extremely rare. She’s done her research and has mostly taken this whole period thing in stride. She wears tampons during the day and a pad (with wings!) at night. Last night, though, she ran out of pads. It’s fine if I wear a tampon to bed...right? she thought. But now, she’s feeling waves of dread. Yes, it’s rare. Yes, it’s probably fine...but what if it’s not? What if she’s the one who gets it from a single night of tampon use? Don’t worry, Claire—you don’t have toxic shock syndrome. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking will follow you for the rest of your life. Bummer!