Tampon and applicator assembly with advantageously-shaped gripping portion

A tampon product comprising a tampon within an applicator assembly, the applicator assembly comprising:

• a hollow barrel portion having a longitudinal axis, the barrel portion having a forward end and a rearward extent;
• a hollow gripping portion, the gripping portion having a forward portion joined to the rearward extent, an intermediate portion, and a rearward portion terminating at a rearward edge, wherein:
• the forward portion comprises a transition from a first lateral outer cross section profile of the barrel portion at the rearward extent to a second lateral outer cross section profile of the intermediate portion of the gripping portion differing from the first lateral outer cross section profile;
• the second lateral outer cross section profile is substantially oval-shaped, ovoid-shaped, elliptical or stadium-shaped and has major and minor axes, each perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
• and
• wherein the tampon is configured such that, following its ejection from the applicator assembly and absorption of fluid, it will expand laterally to a first tampon lateral dimension to a greatest extent along a first lateral direction, and to a lesser second tampon lateral dimension along a second lateral direction 90 degrees from the first lateral direction;
• and
• wherein the first lateral direction is substantially parallel to one of the major and minor lateral axes.