The moment each month when your body shoots daggers through you and sends you into a fetal position as it sheds blood, hating you for not fertilizing the egg it so generally released for you.  “You are not pregnant, congratulations, I will reward you with a week of unhappiness. You are welcome.” It’s unfair, but true.  Being a woman is beautiful and amazing.  We have the ability to create and grow life, but when we decide not to get pregnant, our body puts us through -what seems like- a torturous procedure month after month.  It is life.  We deal with it, push it aside, and never really talk about it. Because discussing menstruation is taboo, something that is so far from “dinner appropriate” in our society, we have left the door wide open for the Feminine Hygiene companies to take full advantage of us. It has taken me years to research this topic, probably because I just did not want to know, but maybe it is because I have a daughter who will one day need to use feminine care products – or possibly it is because I learned that I have a small (benign – thank God!) tumor on my ovary and I am ready to swallow the truth: I have been inserting toxic, cancer-causing products into my vagina since I turned 14 years old. It stops now.  It stops here.  Please read on and continue reading after this article.  Educate yourself until you realize just how scared we should be; how angry we should be that this has been and continues to happen.

The Truth about Tampons (and Pads)

*This article is in reference to non-organic products*

Disposable, single-use tampons and pads became available in much of the developed world in the first half of the 20th century. Today tampons are used by over 100 million women worldwide, while pads, which are much more widespread on a global scale due to a cultural aversion to tampons in many regions, comprise a multi-billion dollar industry. (Actually, a $3 billion dollar industry- annually.)  http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB976238645760374015 The average woman uses an average of more than 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. It's estimated that approximately 20 billion pads, tampons and applicators are filling (North American) landfills annually. These products require hundreds of years to biodegrade, particularly if wrapped in the plastic bag commonly provided for this purpose as part of their packaging. (In fact, every piece of plastic ever made, still exists to this day.)  In addition to the environmental crisis these products produce, the actual process of manufacturing these products – turning wood pulp into soft, cotton-like fibers – is both resource- and chemical-intensive.  You may be wondering what I mean by chemical-intensive?  Read on, friends, read on. We are about to get to the good part.  http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/healthandscience/cumulative-exposure-and-feminine-care-products/  and http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/27/disposable-tampons-arent-sustainable-but-do-women-want-to-talk-about-it Media tells us that we need to feel fresher, smell better, and have more confidence in ourselves. They say that we need specific products to achieve these goals.  In reality, the purpose of feminine care products is to clean, moisturize, absorb discharge or otherwise treat the sensitive skin and tissues of the vaginal area. The vagina (vulva and labia, too) is comprised of soft tissue that is incredibly absorbent. Inserting a standard tampon or placing a pad against this area is the equivalent of inviting toxic chemicals into your most delicate and absorbent areas. Yes, you can put two and two together here.  You are absorbing everything from your feminine product into your body. Tampons and pads are sold under the cosmetic product label, and are therefore tested and determined to be “safe” if used on ordinary skin.  (Which is a joke in itself, as the chemicals found within them have been proven that they should be nowhere near our skin or bodies.) This means chemicals of concern such as carcinogens, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, and allergens are being used on, or even in, the extremely permeable mucus membranes of the vaginal area.  Yes, these chemicals are all approved for use in our cosmetics too. Let’s begin with the cotton and rayon that tampons and pads are made from.

• Rayon is not a natural substance and is classified as a synthetic fiber due to the chemical process used to create it.
• A few of the toxic chemicals used in the process of manufacturing rayon include carbon hydroxide, sulfuric acid, and carbon disulfide.
• Rayon absorbent fibers added to the tampon can stick to your vaginal wall (causing irritation) and some loose fibers may even be left behind when you remove the tampon potentially raising your risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
• About 90% of the cotton grown in the U.S. is genetically modified (GMO) according to the USDA.  http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption.aspx

• Conventional cotton (non-organic) is considered by many to be the world’s “dirtiest” crop… Why?  Because it is one of the highest sprayed (if not the highest) crops in the U.S.
• 5 of the top 9 pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. are classified by the EPA as a Category 1 & 2, which are the most dangerous.  These pesticides have also been linked to cancer.
• A recent discovery by a university has discovered that feminine hygiene products contain a chemical (glyphosate) found in Monsanto’s famous “Roundup” herbicide.  This chemical has been classified as “probably carcinogenic.”

According to Revolution News: “Glyphosate was found in 85% of the products containing cotton bought in pharmacies and supermarkets including feminine care products like tampons and sanitary pads, sterile gauze pads, cotton swabs and wipes.” http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/18/fda-test-food-glyphosate/ This February (2016),The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will begin testing food for glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used pesticide. This marks the first time that a U.S. agency will routinely test for glyphosate residue in food. It comes after the Government Accountability Office released a report condemning the FDA for failing even to disclose its failure to test for glyphosate in its annual pesticide residue report. http://bust.com/living/15750-i-tested-5-organic-tampons-and-pads-after-learning-these-shocking-facts-about-drugstore-tampons.html

Chlorine Bleaching

Tampons and pads are bleached with chlorine. The bleaching process creates a by-product called dioxin, which has been labeled as a toxic carcinogen by the World Health Organization.  (Learn more about the dangers of this toxic chemical here: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/) Learn more about the controversial topic of dioxins leading to infertility (Click HERE and HERE.) Bleaching exposes women to low levels of dioxins every time they use these feminine hygiene products.  Not to mention, these toxins get stored in fat cells over time making it more difficult to maintain a healthy body throughout life. * products labeled as ‘chlorine-free bleaching’ may still use methods containing chlorine dioxide. Aside from pesticides, traces of dioxin, and GMOs, if you’re using scented tampons, be aware that such products may contain any of the nearly 3,000 fragrance chemicals in use. But, like the above mentioned chemicals, they probably won’t be listed on the label. An analysis by Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), which acquired public patent documents held by Proctor & Gamble (the maker of Tampax and Always), showed the following chemicals may also be in your tampons. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/21/boycott-gmos-roundup.aspx

Chemical Name	Function	Potential Health Effects	Found in
Benzethonium Chloride	Preservative, spermicide	Not for use on mucous membranes, maternal and embryotoxicity	Deodorant powders and suppositories, feminine wash
Benzocaine	Mild anesthetic	Allergic rash, dermatitis	Anti-itch creams
Butylparaben	Preservative	Endocrine disruption, increased risk of breast cancer, allergic rash	Wipes
D&C Red 33	Colorant (dye)	Not for use on mucous membranes	Feminine wash
Diazolidinyl urea	Preservative	Releases formaldehyde, allergic rash, cancer	Feminine wash, douche
Dioxins and Furans	Contaminant from bleaching process	Cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity	Tampons (not disclosed on label)
DMDM Hydantoin	Preservative	Releases formaldehyde, allergic rash, cancer	Wipes, feminine wash
Ethylparaben	Preservative	Endocrine disruption, increased risk of breast cancer, allergic rash	Wipes
Ext. Violet 2	Colorant (dye)	Not for use on mucous membranes	Feminine Wash
FD&C Yellow No. 5	Colorant (dye)	Allergic reactions including bronchial asthma	Feminine Wash
“Fragrance”	Fragrance	Contains undisclosed chemicals of unknown toxicity, likely to contain allergens, allergic rash, endocrine disruption, cancer	Wipes, feminine wash, tampons, pads, douche, deodorant, anti-itch creams
Methylchloroisothiazolinone	Preservative	Allergic rash	Feminine wash
Methylisothiazolinone	Preservative	Allergic rash	Wipes, feminine wash, anti-itch cream
Methylparaben	Preservative	Endocrine disruption, increased risk of breast cancer, allergic rash	Wipes, deodorant, anti-itch creams
Octoxynol 9	Spermicide	Genital irritation, increased vaginal discharge, potential reproductive toxicity	Douche
Pesticide residues	Contaminant of traditionally grown cotton	Cancer, endocrine disruption, acute toxicity	Tampons (not disclosed on label)
Polyoxymethylene Urea	Preservative	Releases formaldehyde, allergic rash, cancer	Deodorant powder
Propylparaben	Preservative	Endocrine disruption, increased risk of breast cancer, allergic rash	Wipes, anti-itch creams
Quaternium-15	Preservative	Releases formaldehyde, allergic rash, cancer	Wipes, feminine wash
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1, 3-Diol	Preservative	Releases formaldehyde, allergic rash, cancer	Wipes

  In case you weren’t paying attention, here are 8 Reasons to Ditch the Tampon:

1. Filled with toxins
2. Imbalances pH of the vagina- Normal pH is essential for maintaining good vaginal health. When the pH is imbalanced a woman is at risk for vaginal issues such as infections, pain and discomfort.
3. Can cause TSS- Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is not as rare as we are made to believe. TSS can include causing endometriosis, abnormal pap smears, genital warts, etc. TSS is caused by a bacterial toxin that can also result in high fever, confusion, a rash similar to a sunburn, low blood pressure and can be fatal.
4. Interferes with the menstrual flow- Tampons disrupt the natural downward flow of energy during menstruation which causes excess cramping and abdominal discomfort.
5. They are bad for the environment
6. Depletes natural fluids causing dryness and irritation- In addition to absorbing blood tampons also absorb the natural vaginal fluids which causes the vaginal walls to become dry and damaged.
7. They can contain mold - http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/06/tampons-feminine-care.aspx
8. They Can reduce fertility

What are your REAL options?

• Organic pads
• Organic tampons
• Reusable (“Mama” Cloth) Fabric Pads
• Menstrual Cup

Pads and tampons are one of the most convenient inventions for feminine hygiene products in modern times; however, now more than ever it’s crucial for us to know what we’re putting into our body.  Knowledge is power.