Are Your Tampons Putting Your Health at Risk?
Check the labels of the sanitary pads or tampons that you are going to
buy the next time and see whether you spot any of the familiar signs stated
in this document.
No wonder so many women in the world suffer from
cervical cancer and womb tumors. Have you heard that
tampon makers include asbestos in tampons? Why would
they do this?
Because asbestos makes you bleed more, if you bleed
more, you're going to need to use more. Why isn't this
against the law since asbestos is so dangerous?
Because the powers that be, in all their wisdom (not),
did not consider tampons as being ingested, and,
therefore, didn't consider them illegal or dangerous.
This month's Essence magazine has small article about this and they mention
two manufacturers of a cotton tampon alternative. The companies are: Organic
Essentials @1-800) 765-6491 and Terra Femme @ (800)755-0212.
A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of Colorado at
Boulder sent the following:
"I am writing this because women are not being
informed about the dangers of something most of us
use: tampons. I am taking a class this month and I
have been learning a lot about biology and women,
including much about feminine hygiene. Recently we
have learned that tampons are actually dangerous (for
other reasons than TSS). I'll tell you this - after
learning about this in our class, most of the females
wound up feeling angry and upset with the tampon
industry, and I for one, am going to do something
about it. To start, I want to inform everyone I can,
and email is the fastest way that I know how.
HERE IS THE SCOOP:
Tampons contain two things that are potentially
harmful: Rayon (for absorbency), and dioxin (a chemical
used in bleaching the products). The tampon industry
is convinced that we, as women, need bleached white
products in order to view the product as pure and
clean. The problem here is that the dioxin, which is
produced in this bleaching process, can lead to very
harmful problems for a woman. Dioxin is
potentially carcinogenic (cancer-associated) and is
toxic to the immune and reproductive systems. It has
also been linked to endometriosis and lower sperm
counts for men. For both sexes, it breaks down the
immune system.
Last September, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) reported that there really is no set
"acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given
that it is cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The
real danger comes from repeated contact Karen Couppert
"Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd say
using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for
38 menstruating years is "repeated contact", wouldn't
you? Rayon contributes to the danger of tampons and
dioxin because it is a highly absorbent substance.
Therefore, when fibers from the tampons are left
behind in the vagina (as usually occurs), it creates a
breeding ground for the dioxin. It also stays in a lot
longer than it would with just cotton tampons. This is
also the reason why TSS (toxic shock syndrome) occurs.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?
Using feminine hygiene products that aren't bleached
and that are all cotton. Other feminine hygiene
products (pads/napkins) contain dioxin as well, but
they are not nearly as dangerous since they are not in
direct contact with the vagina. The pads/napkins need
to stop being bleached, but, obviously, tampons
are the most dangerous.
So, what can you do if you can't give up using
tampons? Use tampons that are made from 100% cotton,
and that are UNBLEACHED. Unfortunately, there are very
few companies that make these safe tampons. They are
usually only found in health food stores.
Countries all over the world (Sweden, Germany, British
Columbia, etc.) have demanded a switch to this safer
tampon, while the U.S. has decided to keep us in the
dark about it. In 1989, activists in England mounted a
campaign against chlorine bleaching. Six weeks and
50,000 letters later, the makers of sanitary products
switched to oxygen bleaching (one of the green methods
available) (MS magazine, May/June 1995).
WHAT TO DO NOW:
Tell people. Everyone. Inform them. We are being
manipulated by this industry and the government, let's
do something about it! Please write to the
companies: Tampax(Tambrands), Playtex, O.B., Kotex.
Call the 800 numbers listed on the boxes. Let them know
that we demand a safe product
ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.
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