Believe it or not, a lot of women have never thought about how the feminine hygiene products they are regularly used are made and what they contain. In a lot of cases, women reach for the ones labelled “100 percent cotton” because they think this is safe. But, the truth is very different…
Namely, as these feminine care products are not classified as medical products, the companies need not disclose the materials used for the production. The FDA solely regulates the tampon absorption.
Unfortunately, these products are in close contact with the skin and expose you to toxins. To make things worse, the skin in the vaginal area is highly permeable! What’s more, a lot of women use tampons for their menstrual periods, but there is scarce research on their safety, yet a lot of information showing how dangerous they actually are.
Tampons, Pads & Diapers Full of VOCs and Phthalates
In a study published in the Reproductive Toxicology Journal, it was concluded that feminine care products are full of pesticides, dyes, preservatives, and pesticides. The researchers measured 3 VOCs and 4 phthalates in commercially-sold pads and diapers.
The air inside the packets was also tested and had as high as 5.9 ppb of VOCs. Different brands of diapers, menstrual pads, and tampons were found to contain different levels of the VOCs and phthalates.
Women Are Exposed to Toxins around 7.5 Years in their Lives
When a tampon is placed inside the vagina, the chemicals from it go directly into the blood. Tampons, according to a 2014 report by Women’s Voices for the Earth, contain harmful chemicals like pesticide residues, furans, and dioxins, but super absorbent shells and meltdown polymers.
Averagely speaking, the 16,000 tampons which a woman uses in her lifetime may result in between 7.5 and 10 years of chemical exposure. Sadly, a lot of tampon manufacturers try to produce a highly-absorbent and low cost material to satisfy their customers and profit.
Women who use tampons are therefore at a higher risk of toxic shock syndrome as a result of infection complication.
If you are aware of the dangers associated with menstrual pads and tampons, you should know that there are safer alternative methods to use during your menstrual period.
Check out this article to find out more!
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