Freddie Clemo
Tampons, one of the most popular period products, have become a contentious topic. Especially since research has found toxic metals present in many brands.
This discovery has prompted outrage online, as users question whether they have unknowingly been poisoned by the period products. Many people are swearing off tampons forever. But should you hastily throw away your tampons, or is the reality more complex?
What’s Happening With Tampons?
The study, a first of its kind, found 16 metals present in tampons, including arsenic, cadmium, and lead. The metals were found across the board in all tampon brands studied. Lead, of which there is no safe level of exposure, was found in all samples, with non-organic tampons containing the highest amount.
Why Is This Worrying?
The vaginal wall is one of the most absorbent parts of the body. It has a high potential for chemical absorption, leading to fears about the potential health implications of the findings.
The metals found in tampons have all been associated, to some degree, with medical complications. These include dementia, infertility, diabetes, cancer, and damage to almost every bodily organ.
There are concerns about the cumulative effects of exposure to the metals. If you menstruate, you are likely to spend approximately 6.5 years of your life bleeding, meaning the average tampon user will go through around 11,000 tampons in a lifetime. We can only speculate about the potential cumulative effects of this exposure.
Are Tampons Poisoning Us?
The study was not able to determine whether heavy metals leech from tampons into the body. Dr Bannow, who studies tampon absorption, says: “tampons are meant to absorb from us”. Bannow notes we have not studied whether the body also absorbs from tampons.
The missing data is illustrative of research gaps about women’s health. Have tampon users been unwittingly absorbing heavy metals through their vaginas for decades? When we will know whether tampons are truly safe?
The Sexist History Of Uterus Health
Medical sexism, as well as the stigma around periods, means research about menstruation has lacked funding and reliable testing standards. Prior to the 1980s, tampons weren’t even tested using real blood or people. This had dire consequences, leading to toxic shock syndrome when absorbency levels weren’t listed accurately.
The lack of research and testing of menstrual products dates back to the 50s. Pregnant women were prescribed thalidomide for morning sickness. The ‘miracle’ drug was not properly tested, causing birth defects in the women’s offspring. For decades after, women were excluded from most medical research, due to fears about their fertility or the health of their offspring, should they fall pregnant.
Past research has found tampons and other menstrual products can contain chemicals, gases and fragrances that potentially disrupt the endocrine system. The system regulates sexual development, metabolism, blood sugar, mood and sleep. Overall, there is a lack of clear evidence regarding the safety of tampons.
Lead author of the recent study, Jenni A. Shearston, summarised the need for more research. She said: “Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons.”
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Why Are Metals In Tampons?
Many horrified consumers have speculated whether tampon companies have been intentionally adding metals to poison consumers. But the reality is likely less dramatic. Many metal components are absorbed naturally through water, air or soil. This is because tampons are primarily made from cotton. Metals are present in the soil, so some leech into natural products. Other metals may have been added in the manufacturing process as part of a pigment, whitener or antibacterial agent.
A spokesperson for the UK-based Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers Association says: “It’s crucial to understand heavy metals and trace chemicals are not intentionally added to tampons. Still, they can sometimes be found in products as residuals of the manufacturing process and/or because they are present in the environment. These naturally occurring traces do not pose a risk to human health.”
Should I Stop Using Tampons?
Many tampon users have taken to social media to share their frustrations. Some are swearing off tampons for life and encouraging others to follow. One TikTok user wrote: “I’m not using another tampon ever again after this news. Are we just going to bleed as protest?”
But experts say we shouldn’t panic. Microbiologist and immunologist Dr Andrea Love stresses: “The things you touch, wear, eat and inhale have far higher levels of lead than those reported here.”
It is up to the individual to decide whether to continue using tampons. There are plenty of other alternatives: menstrual cups, disks, period pants and pads, to name a few.
What About Organic Tampons?
Organic tampons have grown in popularity, favoured by those concerned about the environmental cost of plastic applicators that take hundreds of years to decompose. But organic doesn’t autonomically equal better.
Previously, myths have circulated that organic products carry less of a risk of toxic shock syndrome. But gynaecologists have dispelled this, noting the risk is due to the absorbency of the tampon. Whether it is organic is not a factor. Similarly, organic tampons contain the highest amount of arsenic.
Ultimately, it is about informed decision making, which requires further research so tampon users can understand any potential cumulative risks. This study highlights the lack of data about menstruation products. Medical sexism continues to negatively affect those who menstruate, as well as women’s health across the board.
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Featured image courtesy of Natracare via Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.
freddieclemo
First-Class English Literature grad from Edinburgh University, currently completing my NCTJ at News Associates and living in Sussex.