Playtex invented the plastic tampon applicator in 1973. Dr. Earle Haas patented the first modern tampon, Tampax, with the tube-within-a-tube applicator. Use of a tampon could stretch or break the hymen. Other activities may have an effect on the vagina such as sports and tampon use. They can present in adolescence with painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) or difficulty inserting a tampon. Women are often subjected to this in the tampon and sanitary napkin market. Companies like L. and Flex offer alternatives to standard tampon and condom products. At the hospital, they discover the reason&colon; Kenny had shoved a tampon up his rectum. Countries are moving forward and either removing tampon taxes or providing free menstrual products. The best-selling Playtex tampon is the Gentle Glide brand, which was first introduced in 1973. The advantages of a reusable tampon alternative include cost-effectiveness and waste reduction. Factors such as tampon composition will likewise impact sewage treatment plants or waste processing. Castmate Alison Teal reports that she was granted an "emergency" tampon. This idea for an o.b. tampon is still widely used across several different companies. Several political statements have been made in regards to tampon use.