Toxic tampons-Fiction!

Tampons Manufactured in America Have Asbestos in Them And Rayon in Tampons Causes Toxic Shock Syndrome-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor: This email is a warning to women and the writer urges that you send it to "every woman you know." It claims that U.S. tampon manufacturers are creating a larger market for their product by adding asbestos to the tampons which creates heavier menstrual flow. It also claims that there are cases of toxic shock syndrome occurring because of chlorine contamination from the manufacturing process.

The Truth: The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the safety of tampons, says there is no truth to the allegation that tampons made in the United States have asbestos in them. The FDA says it knows of no reports of tampons tainted with asbestos. Regarding the Rayon and dioxin concerns, the FDA says that's old news. U.S. tampons are made of cotton, Rayon or blends of both, according to the FDA. Rayon comes from a process from wood pulp and there was a time when a bleaching process used on the wood pulp which, according to the FDA, "...was a potential source of trace amounts of dioxin..." but that process is no longer used. Further, the FDA says that sophisticated testing shows that dioxin levels are at or below the detectable limit. Additionally, Dr. Stephanie Baker, one of the names listed as having originated the email, says her name has been attached by a hoaxster and that she regards the email as false and had nothing to do with it. The bottom line is that if you have any concerns about the safety of tampons, this email is not the document on which to base them.

Additionally, we contacted Dr. Stephanie Baker and she sent us the following email: I am Stephanie Baker. A version of a bogus e-mail alerting readers to the alleged dangers of tampons has been circulating with my name on it. I am NOT the author and I disavow myself completely from the content of the e-mail. It was not my intention to further disseminate this FALSE information. When I received the e-mail, I forwarded it to a few friends, commenting on what I felt was the absurdity of the misinformation that it contained. My name became associated with it because I did not realize that the e-mail program I was using at work would drop my electronic signature file (including my office address and phone) to the bottom of the forwarded text, thereby implying that I am its author. Unfortunately however, one of my recipients not only forwarded it, but left my name at the bottom of the text. In addition, you should be aware that the content of this e-mail is constantly being altered by those who receive it, including moving the placement of my name within the text of the e-mail. One version circulating combines my name with that of a Donna Boisseau, a person unknown to me, whose name was attached to the version of the e-mail that was sent to me. If you have forwarded this e-mail to others, I would very much appreciate your forwarding this message to anyone you may have sent it to. Thank you!
Stephanie Baker

For more information:
The Food and Drug Administration (If this link does not take you to a relevant page, go to www.fda.gov and use the search feature using the keyword "tampons." updated 07/17/12
A real example of the story as it has been circulated and emailed to us:
PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE, IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HEALTH, AND PASS IT ON TO EVERY WOMAN YOU KNOW WHO IS USING FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS!!! Please pass on to as many women as possible . . . If you use pads, but especially if you use tampons read his and pass on to your friends (for the men receiving this email, please forward it to your friends, significant others, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc.) thanks! 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 wasn't illegal or considered dangerous. This month's Essence magazine has a small article about this and they mention two manufacturers of a cotton tampon alternative. The companies are Organic Essentials @ (800) 765-6491 and Terra Femme @ (800)755-0212. A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of Colorado @ Boulder 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 woman, including much about feminine hygiene. Recently we have learned that tampons are actually dangerous (for other reasons than TSS). I'll tell you this, 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 Dioxim(a chemical used in bleaching the products). 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 produced in this bleaching process 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, it breaks down the immune system. Last September the environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that there really is no set "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from repeated contact (Karen Houppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38 menstruating 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 it usually occurs), it creates a breeding ground for the dioxin. It also stays in a lot longer than it would with just cotton tampons. This is also the reason why TSS (Toxic ShockSyndrome)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 since they are not in direct contact with the vagina. The pads/napkins need to stop being bleached, but obviously tampons are the most dangerous. So, what can you do if you can't give up using tampons? Use tampons, that are made from 100% cotton, and that are UNBLEACHED. Unfortunately, there are very, very few companies that make these safe tampons.They are usually only found in health food stores. Countries all over the world (Sweden, Germany, etc.) have demanded a switch to this safer tampon,while the U.S. 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, O.B., Kotex. Call the 800 numbers listed on the boxes. Let them know that we demand a safe product - ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS. Thank you, Donna C. Boisseau & Stephanie C. Baker; Assistants to Dr. B.S. Katzenellenbogen, Professor University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology; 217) 333-9769