The Trouble with Non-Organic Tampons

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The Trouble with Non-Organic Tampons http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/tampons090704.cfm

Emagazine - The Environmental MagazineSeptember/October 2004Volume XV Number 5www.emagazine.com

The Trouble with Tamponsby Ilya Sandra PerlingieriTampons have been around since the 1930s, and women have largely takentheir safety for granted. But over the past three decades there has been

a staggering increase in illnesses that were once thought of as rare,including endometriosis, fibroids (growths in the uterus), pelvicinflammatory disease, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), and cancer,causing some to take another look at those ubiquitous products.

© Brand X PicturesIn the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was an outbreak of Toxic ShockSyndrome (TSS), caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium whosetoxins are amplified by several synthetic fibers that were being used in

tampons to increase absorbency. More than 50 women died and more than athousand suffered.The worst offenders were Procter and Gamble's ultra-absorbent Relytampons. According to the book Soap Opera: The Inside Story of Procter

and Gamble, the company dismissed consumer complaints about the tamponsfor years. A 1975 company memo disclosed that Rely tampons containedknown cancer-causing agents and that the product altered the natural

organisms found in the vagina. Rely tampons were taken off the shelvesin 1980, but many women claim they left a legacy of hysterectomies andloss of fertility.After this crisis, carboxymethylcellulose, polyacrylate rayon (a

derivative of wood pulp) and polyester were outlawed for tampons, butviscous rayon can still be used, which concerns some observers. "Viscousrayon can still amplify toxins to some extent, and the lowest risk [for

TSS] would be had by using all cotton," says Dr. Philip Tierno of theNew York University Medical Center. Today most tampons are made withrayon, conventional cotton, and undisclosed chemical fragrances. The

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) insists such tampons are safe.The TSS specter has not disappeared. As the National Women's HealthNetwork points out, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trackthe syndrome only through voluntary reporting, so it is difficult to

know the true threat. Three years ago, a 13-year-old London girl diedafter using tampons for the first time.Further, according to Women's Health International, several Americantampon brands have been rejected in Japan, where government regulation

of the industry is stricter. The stated reason? High bacterial levels.Some college courses on women's health conduct a simple classdemonstration: Place a new tampon in a glass of water. After it absorbs

water, remove it, and watch all the remaining fibers floating in thewater. These fibers remain inside a woman's uterus.In the U.S., more than one billion tons of pesticides and herbicides aresprayed on cotton crops every year; and residues may taint tampons. Many

of these pesticides can damage the nervous system, lead to cancer orfunction as hormone disruptors.Although the effects of hormone disruptors on women's health are poorlyunderstood, it is known that estrogen itself can cause problems at

certain levels. Dr. Susan Lark, author of Fibroid Tumors andEndometriosis, notes that women "are at higher risk of developingfibroids or endometriosis…if they have high levels of estrogen…or useestrogen-contaminating medication [such as Hormone Replacement

Therapy]." A 1996 report in the journal Science concluded that whenestrogen-like chemicals are combined, they often become more damaging.Jan Stout of Physicians for Social Responsibility argues, "We'recreating a threat to an entire generation."

Much of the cotton crop in the U.S. is now also genetically engineered,a fact that has some health advocates worried over long-term effects.The London-based Institute for Science in Society has warned that

genetically engineered cotton in tampons and bandages could give rise toantibiotic-resistant bacteria.Further, what is the risk to women's health posed by highly toxicdioxin, a by-product of the chlorine bleaching process historically used

to make tampon fibers white? According to the Village Voice, in 1992 aCongressional subcommittee uncovered an exchange of memos in which FDAscientists reported discovering trace levels of dioxin in some tampons.

"Citing studies that indicated dioxin was unsafe at anylevel…subcommittee chair Ted Weiss accused the FDA of ignoring its ownscientists' warnings," wrote the Voice.In the mid-1990s, tampon manufacturers switched to "elemental

chlorine-free bleaching," reducing the production of dioxin. However,the FDA acknowledges that the alternative process can still"theoretically generate dioxins at extremely low levels." The agency

says even average background levels of dioxin may lead to developmentaland immune problems and birth defects.Since a typical woman uses more than 11,500 tampons in her lifetime,even small traces of dioxin may add up. Yet the FDA has not called for

testing of potential dioxin levels in tampons, and does not requirepackage warnings. Alternatives to conventional tampons include organiccotton products such as GladRags (800-799-4523,

www.gladrags.com),Organic Essentials (806-428-3486, www.organicessentials.com) andNatracare (303-617-3476, www.natracare.com), sea sponges (SeaPearls,800-219-9765,

www.jadeandpearl.com) and The Keeper (800-799-4523,www.keeper-menstrual-cup.com), a menstrual product made from all-natural

rubber.Ilya Sandra Perlingieri is the author of the 2003 book The UterineCrisis.-- Diana Gonzalez

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. -Unknown