Do you know the truth about your Tampons?

I often sound like a broken record but I can’t help it; more often than not, Western medicine- which is good and serves a purpose- is only catching up to what holistic practitioners and doctors have known for some time. In this case, it’s that personal care products that are full of perfumes, dyes, and chemicals aren’t safe and do have an effect on our homeostasis. And more specifically, a group of chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors.

If you didn’t already guess where I was going- add tampons to that list. (I stopped using tampons years ago and instead use these: Jade Pearl Sponges.)

Ami Zota, assistant professor of environmental health at George Washington University, says that scientists believe tampons don’t go through the body’s typical elimination and metabolic processes. Rather, chemicals from tampons are “absorbed by the vaginal mucosa, and from there are able to pass almost directly into your bloodstream.”

From the article:

“Zota’s research shows fragranced feminine care products may raise a woman’s exposure to phthalates, a class of suspected endocrine disrupters some research has linked to developmental issues like lower IQs and higher rates of asthma.

Another group of chemicals are dioxins, which are byproducts of the bleaching process involved in the manufacture of tampons. Dioxins are also a big concern; the World Health Organization calls dioxins ‘highly toxic’ and categorizes them as a ‘known human carcinogen.”’

While the amount of dioxin in tampons today is low, it’s still there and its effects are cumulative; a lifetime of tampon use could potentially raise your risk for disease.

But, I say potentially because there’s very little research that’s been done into their safety. Despite their worldwide use, tampons and feminine products have received very little attention from the scientific community. Again, millions of American women use these products on a monthly basis and there’s been no serious studies to point to their safety.

And that’s not all. Because tampons are considered a medical device they don’t have to label their ingredients. And FYI, 85% of tampons contain cotton that was sprayed with glyphosate. That simply cannot be good for the inside of your vagina. After all this time, if you think manufacturers are looking out for your best interests and not just making a buck, I’ve got swamp land here in Florida to sell you.

Yes, the FDA says they are safe but do we really need to go into why they aren’t the most trustworthy organization on the planet?

So, what do you do? Stop using tampons (YES!)? And do what? Again, I’ve used sea sponges for years and love them. After a round with endometriosis, my editor, who had faithfully used tampons since she was 13, started using sea sponges and then decided to just use charcoal and bamboo reusable pads. They are safe for her and her daughter and good for the environment. Her endometriosis is totally gone in one of her ovaries and shrunk by half in the other, she’s symptom-free, and her hormones have regulated so her periods aren’t terrible anymore.