What is in a tampon?
Author: Professor Joyce Harper
A woman uses over 16,000 tampons in her lifetime. Tampons come into direct contact with the vagina and as the skin there is very thin, any chemicals tampons contain will be absorbed straight into the bloodstream. There are a huge number of reports on the possibility that tampons contain toxic chemicals, but as tampons are classed as ‘medical devices’, manufacturers do not need to state what they contain.
Why would manufacturers put chemicals in tampons? As part of the manufacturing process, chemicals will be used to treat the material of the tampon to make them absorbent and soft for easy application, give them their white colour and be able to neutralise smells.
Andrea Donsky, founder of Naturally Savvy and co-author of Label Lessons: Your Guide to a Healthy Shopping Cart says that tampons contain pesticides, those with odour neutralizers and fragrances will contain a whole host of chemicals and those made in the USA will contain genetically modified organisms.
In this Facebook post it says that 85% of tampons tested positively for glyphosate which is a herbicide linked with cancer. They are making a move for us to know what chemicals are in a tampon.
The FDA article only talks about rumours that tampons contain asbestos and dioxins.
And using tampons can result in toxic shock syndrome.
How are tampons tested to make sure they are safe? Have any companies tested the long term effects of using tampons?
Using organic tampons will definitely be safer but they are expensive. If you want to use an alternative – think about the mooncup.
Read More:
- http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PatientAlerts/ucm070003.htm
- https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/vb.341163402640457/933561083400683/?type=2&theater
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/feminine-hygiene-products_b_3359581.html
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2528510/Are-tampons-toxic-How-feminine-care-products-contain-undisclosed-ingredients-linked-allergic-rashes-asthma-cancer.html
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This is worrying. There are a lot of articles on this. In general – I have always been worried about how things are processed. Manufacturers will try the cheapest method but this might not be the safest. And it is impossible to study the long term effects of something like this – first it would obviously take decades and second there are too many variables. You would need to study thousands of women over decades and it would cost a fortune. Who would fund this and all the other studies that should be done?
I had heard that many tampons contain asbestos to make women bleed more (and therefore use more tampons). But this apparently was an internet trending rumour. Since then the FDA launched a statement denying this. http://www.fda.gov/…/Alerts…/PatientAlerts/ucm070003.htm
This is scary indeed, and to think we are paying tax on these toxins!
I have just written a piece about the tax on tampons. http://www.globalwomenconnected.com/?s=tax+on+tampons
I still prefer sanitary towels but wonder if they have similar toxins in?
They may still have toxins in but at least they are not in such close contact with your blood supply.