sorry gents for this probably gross topic, but i really wanted to toss this bit of info out to the ladies:
If you use pads, but especially if you use tampons, read
this and pass on to your friends (for the men receiving this
email, please forward it to your friends, significant
others, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc.)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 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 dioxin (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, thin 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 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 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,German, 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,
O.B., Kotex. Call the 800 numbers listed on the boxes. Let
them know that we demand a safe product-ALL COTTON
UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.