This week, the FDA decided to launch its own investigation into toxins and carcinogens found in women’s menstruation products. In light of a small study that tested several brands and types of tampons in the United States and Europe, findings were consistent with previous tests that found that most tampons have Heavy Metals and Forever Chemicals that can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream and bioaccumulate in the body.
The same substances have been found in disposable baby diapers and menstrual pads. These are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors; for example, there is no safe level of lead exposure, yet lead is consistently found in these products. Unfortunately, the most recent study does not disclose the brands tested.
Questions that will likely still take years to study and take any action around is how lead, cadmium, arsenic, and an assortment of chemicals in the product affect reproductive development, especially when used during adolescence. Many women are entering puberty at younger ages, and it’s unknown exactly how exposure to these toxins will affect a younger woman into adulthood.
Since the 1980s, we know that infertility rates have risen from 8-10% to now affecting 12-13% of couples. However, it’s difficult to draw an exact connection between infertility, cancers, and endocrine disorders to these products because regular exposure is common through other products like food, dust, cookware, cleaning products, cosmetics, and tap water. There is also the main theory, which is that women trying to conceive at older ages as the main contributor to higher infertility rates.
There is currently a lawsuit against Trojan for using Forever Chemicals in its condoms and lubes when it was marketed as safe for use. Durex has been tested, and no forever chemicals appeared in that brand. It is legal for these products to contain forever chemicals, so in this case, the lawsuit focused on the marketing of the products as safe and free from harmful chemicals. Thinx recently settled a $5 million class action lawsuit that found high levels of Forever Chemicals in its menstrual underwear line despite marketing that there were “no harmful chemicals” in the product.
The New York Times conducted its own testing across a range of products and found most products contained some degree of forever chemicals – whether in smaller amounts that could have been accidental contamination in manufacturing or transport and larger quantities that show it was intentionally added to the product.
Where are the toxins coming from?
Forever Chemicals and Heavy Metals come from different sources. Forever Chemicals are likely added by the manufacturer to increase absorbency, add fragrance, and whiten tampons. Forever Chemicals are so pervasive that it’s almost impossible to have any textile completely without some exposure. Heavy Metals are usually naturally occurring but products can be exposed to higher levels depending on the manufacturing. Cotton will bioaccumulate heavy metals from the soil, such as arsenic and cadmium. Higher levels can be found if the cotton was grown near industrial wastewater or contamination during manufacturing.
So… should I buy organic tampons?
Not so fast. Tampons are regulated by the FDA as medical device. As such, it has no regulation about ingredients or manufacturing. New York is the only state that has passed a bill requiring ingredients listed on menstrual products. The Organic label falls under USDA regulation, which primarily applies to food, so the word Organic can only apply to how the cotton was grown, not how the tampon is manufactured. Organic tampons mean the cotton was grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilizer, but that’s about it.
Organic tampon marketing will often promote an “organic cotton core,” but this does not apply to an outer layer that’s exposed to skin, which has the same additives as a non-organic tampon or the plastic applicator. In this most recent study, organic tampons consistently tested lower in lead but higher in arsenic. Additionally, there’s a price increase for anything that has the organic label on it.
What’s a girl to do?
It’s difficult to know the consequences of accumulated use of these products at this phase. Forever Chemicals and Heavy Metals have permeated so much of daily life, that it’s impossible to calculate the effects from this one product. However, exposure through permeable skin tissue means it rapidly absorbs into the bloodstream, and menstrual products are used continuously for days straight.
There is one brand of tampons (Natracare) that has a “Made Safe” seal of approval. Medical-grade silicone cups and discs avoid much of the contamination and organic transfer of heavy metals like lead and arsenic. In the New York Times sample tests, cups returned clean of Forever Chemicals.
While the FDA is investigating the risks of toxins in hygiene products, tampons would need to be completely re-categorized to be subject to regulatory measures, which will likely take years.
