[RAGG] RE: Tampon/Pad health alert

[Theresa Ferrer]

As soon as I got today's email regarding safety issues with tampons I
went to the Tampax website because I have been using Tampax tampons for
16 years and, like many of you, have had problems with my cervix and
general female health. I clicked on the "contact" button and tried to
post the email in the area designated for my message but the message was
too large. So instead I said: 

"An email was sent to me today that raises serious questions about the
materials used to make your tampons. I tried to post it here but have
not been successful. Please respond."

Within 20 minutes I received a response from Sherri at Tampax (see
below). I never sent her the email -- I didn't have to. Her response
addressed the issues before I even told her what they were. That tells
me that Tampax is all too familiar with these concerns and, for what
it's worth to each of you, I'm sharing what they have to say.

Sherri, thank you for the quick response. Each of the women who receive
this will certainly have to make up their own minds but I am going to
continue to use Tampax products.

Theresa Ferrer
Project Manager/Designer
Kern Studios
504.366.0205
www.kernstudios.com <http://www.kernstudios.com> 
 
 
Message from Tampax.com

 

Discussion Thread

---------------------------------------------------------------

Response (Sherri) - 05/13/2004 03:27 PM

Hello, Theresa.

I'm not sure what email you received, but false information about
tampons and pads is spreading on the Internet. We take your concerns
very seriously. We are deeply committed to the development of products
which will improve the lives and health of women. And, as women
ourselves, we have a great interest in ensuring the safe use of our
products. I hope you'll help us by forwarding the following information
to your friends and posting it on Internet bulletin boards, etc. 

There is NO asbestos in our feminine care products, nor has there ever
been. Tampax Tampons, Always Pads and Pantiliners DO NOT contain dioxin
because chlorine gas is not used in the bleaching process. We buy pulp,
cotton and rayon from outside suppliers who exclusively use chlorine
dioxide (not chlorine gas), oxygen and/or hydrogen peroxide in a process
called "Elemental Chlorine Free," or "ECF" bleaching. Chlorine dioxide
has different chemical properties and reacts differently with pulp than
does chlorine gas. The bleaching processes in the US and Europe are
nearly identical. Neither process uses chlorine gas.

Purification (bleaching) is an essential part of the process required to
make pulp, cotton and rayon in pads and tampons pure and absorbent.
Fiber whitening is a result of this process, but not its goal.

Rayon is made from cellulose which comes from trees and has been used in
our tampons for more than 25 years. Extensive testing by a number of
leading scientists at Harvard, Dartmouth, University of Minnesota and
the Centers for Disease Control has determined that rayon and cotton are
equally safe materials for tampons.

Tampon and pad use is widely accepted by medical professionals for
menstrual protection. We regularly review our pad and tampon safety
information with independent experts - medical consultants and
scientists - to be sure Tampax and Always remain products women can use
with confidence.

While the Internet is an excellent resource for health and medical
information, users must be aware that some of what they read may not be
factual or based on sound scientific research. Many sites are now
devoted to investigating pad and tampon rumors and sharing the truth. To
learn more, visit the websites below and search on the word rayon:

http://www.fda.gov <http://www.fda.gov/> 

http://www.womens-health.org <http://www.womens-health.org/> 

http://www.iwf.org <http://www.iwf.org/> 

http://www.cnn.com <http://www.cnn.com/> 

Hope this helps.

Sherri

Tampax Team

 

________________________________

From: Anne Odom [mailto:anne at webeasel.net] 
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 12:01 PM
To: ragg at ucimc.org
Cc: Theresa Ferrer; perezrewe at perezkrewe.com
Subject: Tampon/Pad health alert



		All:  This is a serious issue for all us gals - I know
that not all of us are familiar with these risks and problems, so here's
some information for you... 
		
		
		 TAMPONS/PADS 
		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 e-mail. 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 at
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). "
		
		
		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 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 fibres 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, 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 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,
OB., Kotex. Let them know that we demand a safe product ALL COTTON
UNBLEACHED TAMPONS. 
		
		

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