Are your tampons toxic? How many feminine care products 'contain undisclosed ingredients' linked to... (original) (raw)

Are your tampons toxic? How many feminine care products 'contain undisclosed ingredients' linked to allergic rashes, asthma and cancer

Published: 17:14 EDT, 23 December 2013 | Updated: 17:17 EDT, 23 December 2013

A new report sheds light on the potentially harmful chemicals found in feminine care products and calls for a stronger regulation of ingredients.

Chem Fetale, issued by the Montana-based health advocacy group Women's Voices for the Earth, focuses on the undisclosed substances contained in tampons, sanitary towels and wipes, such as preservatives, pesticides, fragrances and dyes.

The possible health effects of these additives, the report says, could emerge in the form of an allergic rash, genital irritation, the onset of asthma and an increased risk of cancer.

Are tampons toxic? A new report sheds light on the potentially harmful chemicals found in feminine care products and calls for stronger regulation of ingredients

'Manufacturers should disclose all ingredients and additives used in tampons and menstrual pads and all ingredients present in fragrances used in other feminine care products,' it urges.

'Additionally, all ingredients which are identified as allergens should be highlighted for product users, in order to help them avoid the ingredients which are problematic for them.'

Women's Voices for the Earth found that tampons and pads are regulated as medical devices by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This means that manufacturers are not required to list any ingredients used.

The new paper notes that while 'tampons may appear to be relatively simple devices, made with few ingredients . . . [most] are made from cotton and/or rayon or other pulp fiber.

'[These] can be contaminated with highly toxic dioxins when bleached with chlorine compounds, as well as pesticides from non-organic cotton.'

Although authors acknowledge that the levels contained in products are 'very small', it suggests that they could still have a big impact on the 'unique and highly permeable tissues of the vagina' where they are in 'direct contact with the bloodstream.'

KEEPING WOMEN'S HEALTH IN CHECK

The health advocacy group Women's Voices for the Earth, recommends the following to avoid the 'toxic chemicals' contained in feminine care products:

They cite a 1999 study included in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology which found a vaginally applied dose of a hormone called estradiol resulted in levels to appear in the body 'ten to 80 times greater' compared to when the same dose was administered orally.

Other feminine care products regulated as cosmetics, such as washes, wipes, and sprays, must label their ingredients.

However, due to a legal loophole, any fragrances used can be kept secret.

For women who are concerned, the report advises choosing 'unscented products' where available, and selecting 'chlorine-free' bleached or unbleached cotton tampons and pads.

It also recommends looking out for ingredients listings on packaging before making a purchase.

Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman, director of environmental health at WE ACT for Environmental Justice and a Women's Voices for the Earth board member, said that little research has been done on the toxins contained in feminine care products because 'there is a such a mystique around the vagina.'

'It’s highly taboo and something that’s not supposed to be discussed in polite company,' she added.

Meanwhile Alexandra Scranton, the director of science and research at Women's Voices for the Earth, laid out the group’s future aims: 'We want to create a movement where the public is holding the manufacturer of these products accountable.

'And we want the industry to conduct more evaluation on their health and safety.'

Only a few surveys have looked at feminine care product usage in the U.S.

However, results from several conducted in the Nineties and early Noughties suggest that 50 to 86per cent of women use tampons; 62 to 73per cent of women use pads; and ten to 15per cent of women use feminine wipes.