attention ladies.
I'm not quite sure on this, but i read it in someones journal, and i decided to re-post
Check the labels of the sanitary pads or tampons that you are going to buy
the next time and see whether you spot any of the familiar signs stated in
this email. No wonder so many women in the world suffer from cervical
cancer and womb tumors. Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos
in tampons? Why would they do this?
Because asbestos makes you bleed more, if you bleed more, you're going to
need to use more. Why isn't this against the law since asbestos is so
dangerous? Because the powers that be, in all their wisdom (not), did not
consider tampons as being ingested and therefore did not consider them
illegal or dangerous.
This month's Essence magazine mentions 2 manufacturers of a cotton tampon
alternative. The companies are: Organic Essentials @1-800-765-6491 and
Terra Femme @ 1-800-755-0212.
A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of Colorado sent the following:
"I am writing this because women are not being informed about the dangers
of something most of us use: Tampons. I am taking a class this month and I
have been learning a lot about biology and women, including feminine
hygiene.
Recently we have learned that tampons are actually dangerous (for other
reasons than TSS). After learning about this in our class, most of the
females wound up feeling angry and upset with the tampon industry, and I
for one, am going to do something about it. To start, I want to inform
everyone I can, and email is the fastest way that I know how.
HERE IS THE SCOOP:
Tampons contain two things that are potentially harmful: Rayon (for
absorbency), and dioxin (a chemical used in bleaching).
The tampon industry is convinced that we, as women, need bleached white
products in order to view the product as pure and clean The problem here
is that the dioxin, can lead to very harmful problems for a woman. Dioxin
is potentially carcinogenic (cancer-associated) and is toxic to the immune
and reproductive systems. It has also been linked to endometriosis and
lower sperm counts for men. For both sexes, it breaks down the immune
system.
Last September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that
there really is no "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it
is cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from
repeated contact (Karen Couppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon
Industry").
I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38 years is
"repeated contact", wouldn't you? Rayon contributes to the danger of
tampons and dioxin because it is a highly absorbent substance. Therefore,
when fibers from the tampons are left behind in the vagina (as usually
occurs), it creates a breeding ground for the dioxin. It also stays in a
lot longer that it would with just cotton tampons.
This is also the reason why TSS (toxic shock syndrome) occurs.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? Using feminine hygiene products that aren't
bleached and that are all cotton. Other feminine hygiene products
(pads/napkins) contain dioxin as well, but they are not nearly as
dangerous.
SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU CAN'T GIVE UP USING TAMPONS? Use tampons that
are made from 100% UNBLEACHED cotton. Unfortunately, there are very few
companies that make these safe tampons. They are usually only found in
health food stores. Countries all over the world (Sweden, Germany, British
Columbia, etc.) have demanded a switch to this safer tampon, while the US
has decided to keep us in the dark about it.
In 1989, activists in England mounted a campaign against chlorine
bleaching. Six weeks and 50,000 letters later, the makers of sanitary
products switched to oxygen bleaching (one of the green methods available)
(MS magazine, May/June 1995).
WHAT TO DO NOW:
Tell people. Everyone. Inform them. We are being manipulated by this
industry and the government, let's do something about it! Please write to
the companies: Tampax (Tambrands); Playtex; OB.; Kotex. All the 800
numbers are listed on the boxes. Let them know that we demand a safe
product: ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS...