compressed from 10 to 90 depending upon the desired usage polyvinyl acetal has been selected of its adsorbability of fluids ability to treated with microbial materials and because it can absorb shock through the flexible cell structure of the material while retaining rigidity allowing it to maintain shape when inserted and worn in the vaginal cavity the applicator 20 is of standard design with a barrel 22 having an open petalled end 24 and a slidable hollow piston 26 through which the string 16 extends the tampon retains its compressed small volume condition and is contained in the sleeve or chamber of the barrel of the applicator for insertion into a vaginal cavity the tampon wicks up fluid from the body to expand from the initial compressed condition to a predetermined larger size to form a shaped tampon and maintain orientation the attaching strand 16 has a length such that one end which is preferably knotted 17 is located outside of the body cavity to allow easy grasping and removal the base polyvinyl acetal material is heated and solublized at 190 degrees fahrenheit mixed with cross linking agent and catalyzed and placed into cast tubes after removing the molded tampon material from the cast it is washed with a di water carrier several times to remove the forming formaldehyde so that the formaldehyde is undetectable under u00bd part per million by high pressure liquid chromatography but believed to be less than 0 1.