Dangers of Tampon Usage .. 12-7-98


>>> Many tampon makers include asbestos in the tampon.  Why?  Because

>>> asbestos makes you bleed more...if you bleed more, you're going to

>need

>>

>>> to use more.  Why wasn'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 wasn't illegal or considered

>>dangerous.

>>> This month's Essence magazine has a small article about this and they

>>> mention

>>> two manufacturers of a cotton tampon alternative. The companies are

>>> Organic

>>> Essentials @ (800) 765-6491 and the Black-owned terra femme @ (800)

>>> 755-0212.

>>> A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of Colorado @ Boulder sent

>>this:

>>>

>>> Read on if you value your health...

>>> I am writing this because women are not being informed about the

>>dangers

>>> of something most of us use - tampons.  I'm taking a class this month

>>and

>>> I have been learning a lot about biology and the woman, including

>much

>>> about feminine hygiene.  Recently we have learned that tampons are

>>> actually

>>> dangerous (for other reasons than TSS).  Read on if you're

>interested,

>>if

>>> not,

>>> that's fine too.  But 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'S 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 - they seem to think that we view the product

>>as

>>> pure and clean.  The problem here is that the dioxin 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 been linked to endometriosis as well as lower sperm

>>> counts

>>> for men -  for both, 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

>>Houppert

>>> "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry").  I'd say using about 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 and therefore when fibers from the tampons are

>left

>>> behind

>>> in the vagina (as usually occurs), it creates a breeding ground for

>the

>>> dioxin, and

>>> 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 (which causes

>the

>>> dioxin)

>>> and that are all cotton (the rayon will leave fibers and "breeding

>>> grounds" in the

>>> vagina).  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, 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).  Personally I think it's time that the

>>U.S.

>>> switches,

>>> and we need to make our voices heard.

>>>

>>> 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!

>Tell

>>> everyone to write

>>> to the companies - Tampax (Tambrands), Playtex, O.B., Kotex.  Call

>the

>>> 1-800 numbers

>>> on the boxes.  LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DEMAND A SAFE PRODUCT -

>>ALL-COTTON,

>>> UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.