The hidden dangers of female menstruation products

Feel free to move, if necessary.

There are many reported dangers of commercial menstrual products sold to women. How many women here have heard of them? (this is largely a North American phenomenon, btw) Why aren't we hearing about them?
Have we heard about these dangers and choose to ignore them?

Also important in this is the general belief that menstruation is dirty, thus leading most people to see that using reusable pads, cups, sea sponges, etc is dirty as well. Yes these products don't contain the dangers of dioxin accumulation or TSS infection as do commercial pads and tampons. There is a mentality of "cleanness" where one equates reusable pads, etc., as dirty. I'm sure the companies that manufacture said products don't mind, they prodit from the sale of these products to 50% of the North American population.

Before I tell you about the safer alternative menstrual products, I�d like to give you some background. When I went online to research, I discovered that dioxin was not the only threat to women. Actually, there are two basic problems with synthetic menstrual products:

(1) the synthetic materials are often so absorbent that they create a perfect breeding ground for Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), especially in young females who haven�t had time to develop the necessary antibodies; and

(2) the chlorine used in the bleaching process can release dioxin, a known carcinogen, into a woman�s vagina and uterus.

Now TSS is a relatively well known potential danger, as it's normally marked and described on package inserts for tampons. But the dioxins present due to the chlorine bleach is not information widely known.

Most people have heard of dioxins, and know that they are dangerous, that they accumulate over the years and are a known carcinogenic. Yet women continue to use these products.

Repeated exposure to dioxin can lead to cancer, as well as to "non-cancer health effects, including developmental delays, birth defects, hormone disruption and immune cell suppression. The toxin accumulates in humans, particularly women's body fat and breast milk, with repeated exposures, and 16,800 tampons over the course of a lifetime certainly qualifies."

The fibres from tampons that use synthetics (rayon) become embedded in vaginal walls, causing inflammation and potential infection. 35% of fluids absorbed by tampons are essential fluids that are necessary for proper self-cleaning of the vagina as well as maintaining a blance. The use of rayon itself is a danger because of the potential for the synthetic fibres to fray and disintegrate in liquids, potentially allowing for TSS to develop.

According to a 1999 article in E Magazine, "their studies concluded that tampons containing synthetics amplify the production of the TSS-causing toxin by certain strains of bacteria, whereas the all-cotton tampons produced no measurable toxin." And the same article quotes Dr. Tierno as saying, "Synthetic tampons absorb more water than [does] cotton, leaving behind concentrated proteins that are used by staph bacteria to create the toxin, creating toxin factories."

www.mercola.com...

A bit later I'll put up some links for alternative products and information about them.

It'd be interesting to see what the "alternatives" are other than sanitary pads and tampons (the world's best invention other than electricity).

How about some crystals? Restore harmony and block flow all in one shot?

Continuous birth control pill that prevents menstruation, perhaps? This is also said to reduce the rate of cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Something about stable cells and not having the hormone fluctuation and repeated sloughing mechanism.

Perhaps all women could carry alien babies to term to prevent menstruation. Yeah!

Well, alternatives to commercially produced chlorine bleached pads and tampons include organically grown cotton pads and tampons that are not chlorine bleached. I've got a ton of information on this, there are other things such as sea sponge tampons, cups, reusable cloth pads. I'll be posting more information on these shortly.

Medical Issues & Conspiracies would be a better home for this thread

Originally posted by parrhesia
... there are other things such as sea sponge tampons, cups, reusable cloth pads.

Spongebob Square-pax.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Edit: added a carraige return to ensure multi-line post. My apologies!

[edit on 21-10-2004 by RedBalloon]

Whoa very soon we women are going to hate the fact of been women with so much bs, my grandmother will tell you that women have it alot better now that in her times when it comes to "women Issues"

My mother will tell you that she never had problems with any of the mothern toiletries that help with "women Issues"

I wil tell you that I have never had any problems with mothern "gadgets"

And my daughte 20 will tell you she is doing just fine.

Now if you notices is 4 generations of women alive and well in my family, and "women issues" including cancer or other "women problems" has never been and issue with any of us so far.

Now I wonder if the all the problem comes from the lack of care of ingnorance on how women take care of themselves.

Originally posted by marg6043

My mother will tell you that she never had problems with any of the mothern toiletries that help with "women Issues"

The products your mother used in here younger days were likely either made out of real cotton as opposed to rayon, or reusable.

I wil tell you that I have never had any problems with mothern "gadgets"

And my daughte 20 will tell you she is doing just fine.

The fact that you and your daughter have not experienced visable effects of the use of rayon tampons or infections due to commercial pads that are bleached with chlorine, as well as stifle 'breathing' in the area, inviting bacterial growth does not mean that you bodies are not accumulating dioxins!







[edit on 21-10-2004 by parrhesia]

I hate to say this but I'm going to anyway...Anything that interferes with natures course causes imbalances which inevitably lead to problems. I don't think that women were meant to stuff cotton into their *you know where* during menstruation or any other time for that matter. It's such ashame that Jesus didn't leave a more informative book with specific guidelines as how we are supposed to handle *that time of the month* or other important issues that are causing the world to die a slow horrible death. Instead we have to depend on products invented by people to make a buck, no matter that it *may* cause our female organs to rot

Anyway. If we didn't interfere with nature, women would be free bleeding and that's just gross and unsanitary. Women would much rather get cancer than have blood all over the place
Think about it. It's all about what society say's is right and wrong and we follow like good little sheep.
Mags

Pads and Tampons:

Some women suffer from skin allergies and irritations, which can cause discomfort in varying degrees. Symptoms such as uncomfortable soreness and/or itchiness are often heightened during menstruation due to synthetic and plastic ingredients in sanitary products.

www.natracare.com...

Dioxins, biquitous in the environment, are produced through the chlorine bleaching of wood pulp. The chlorine used to produce rayon results in additional dioxin; most manufacturers of feminine hygiene products use rayon in tampons and wood pulp in sanitary pads for absorbency.

Rayon used to make tampons is usually treated with chemicals to increase the absorption capability. These super absorbent fibers then absorb not only the menstrual blood, but normal vaginal secretions as well, causing drying and ulceration of vaginal tissues. The fibers can also become imbedded in the vaginal walls.

Studies have also shown that this 'over absorption' causes depletion of magnesium stores within the body, leading to suppression of the immune system. If a suppressed immune system comes in contact with TSS bacteria within a woman's body, you're looking at Russian Roulette!

The FDA does NOT require this vital information to be listed by the manufacturers for these feminine hygiene products!!! Yet, products that are used EXTERNALLY, such as soaps, shampoos, feminine wipes, and cosmetics, are required, by the FDA to list the ingredients on these products' packaging!!! WHY IS THIS? Is this in the best interests of women who use feminine hygiene products and their families?

www.femininehygiene.com...

Magestica,

I'm not saying we should walk around bleeding, I'm just presenting information about the dangers of commercially produced products that have dioxins, which are known carcinogens, present in them. And giving information on alternatives, of which there are many.

There are ways to absord or contain blood flow without putting unnesecary dioxins in our bodies.

Lunapads/Washable Menstrual Pads:

This is just an example... washable menstrual pads are easy to make yourself, and you can buy them in many places, including many health food stores...

www.lunapads.com

Using reusable pads creates less waste to go to the landfills, and saves you money over time. Can't complain about that. Not to mention the fact that it alows for the area to breath, and does not contain dioxins.

Originally posted by parrhesia
Magestica,

I'm not saying we should walk around bleeding, I'm just presenting information about the dangers of commercially produced products that have dioxins, which are known carcinogens, present in them. And giving information on alternatives, of which there are many.

There are ways to absord or contain blood flow without putting unnesecary dioxins in our bodies.

I am however, pointing out that someone, somewhere, sometime, said we shouldn't. Of course we don't want to walk around bleeding freely. But if we had no other alternative, then we would now wouldn't we? Native American women did not use anything during menstruation years ago, and the men were instructed to stay away from women during that time of the month. I'm seriously not trying to get off topic. But look closer..perhaps women were not meant to hide or cover up menstruation. I'm almost positive it must have been some religious movement that claimed women were dirty or possessed by the devil that caused women to want to hide the fact that they were menstruating which lead to where we are now..

Again, placing something man made between nature causes problems. Look around you. Cancer was created by humans.

P.S I've never seen those luna pads I wonder how many women actually use them in this busy day and age?

[edit on 10/21/04 by magestica]

magestica is right (of course).

Pastor Brian Tamariki, of the world-renowned Density Church, explains to ATS once more...

www.densitychurch.org...

Originally posted by magestica
I'm am however pointing out that someone, somewhere, sometime, said we shouldn't. Of course we don't want to walk around bleeding freely.

Who said that? People who want to sell natural products, or was this in the bible or something?

Originally posted by magestica
Native American women did not use anything during menstruation years ago, and the men were instructed to stay away from women during that time of the month.

They used straps and didn't just let it all run down their legs. Leather, leaves.. all sorts of things stopped open flow. Men stayed away because women probably reeked and were cranky and unhappy to be in such a condition. This is something that happend all throughout history - red tents, banishment... doesn't mean its the right thing to do.

Originally posted by magestica
But look closer..perhaps women were not meant to hide or cover up menstruation. I'm almost positive it must have been some religious movement that claimed women were dirty or possessed by the devil that caused women to want to hide that fact that they were menstruating which lead to where we are now..

Yup probably so. It's one thing that makes women different from men, and a great excuse to hide women away or tell them they are dirty. However, it's sometimes nice to cover up menstruation a little and not get it on your jeans or sheets. Tampons and pads are not tools to hide as much as they are tools of sanitation and comfort.

Originally posted by magestica
Again, placing something man made between nature causes problems. Look around you. Cancer was created by humans.

How was cancer created by humans? Human cells cause human cancer, but other animals get cancers too, from dogs to snakes and everything in between. Everything these days is man made. Are you suggesting we all go live in the woods? Man has survived this long because of man made things. I'm all for getting back to nature and enjoying outside, but there comes a point where I like having man made things in my life.

As for those re-usable pads.... no way You're dealing with blood products here, the potential for bacteria to grow is HUGE, the smell has got to be incredible, and do you really want to go wash these things every time you go to the bathroom? Where do you put the wet ones after washing if you're at school or at the movies? Who wants to wear pads, anyway?

Originally posted by magestica

But look closer..perhaps women were not meant to hide or cover up menstruation. I'm almost positive it must have been some religious movement that claimed women were dirty or possessed by the devil that caused women to want to hide that fact that they were menstruating which lead to where we are now..

I agree with you there. The unfortunate thing is that this is the prevalent mentality still. Women seem to be ashamed of it, not wanting to talk about it, etc. Yet this is an important part of our lives, our uterus' and their processes.

Again, placing something man made between nature causes problems. Look around you. Cancer was created by humans.

I see what you're saying, and that's also what I'm trying to show. Women need to be aware of the potential dangers and the alternatives availible to them.


Thank you for the link, MA>

I didn't read past this quote; it says it all. These are the very people who prevent open discourse regarding menstruation and menstrual products between women, which I believe is necessary. This attitude from religion is one of the reasons it is seen as a shame and that shame has carried on through the generations. Alternatives to commercial products contaminated with dioxins need to be discussed and it generally can't be done if women feel ashamed of their period and their bodies natural processes.

I am surprised at the faith you have in 'science', when it so clearly contradicts the very words of God, in the Bible!! If the Bible states that menstruation is "impure", this is God Himself speaking. And if God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!

As for those re-usable pads.... no way

You're dealing with blood products here, the potential for bacteria to grow is HUGE, the smell has got to be incredible, and do you really want to go wash these things every time you go to the bathroom? Where do you put the wet ones after washing if you're at school or at the movies? Who wants to wear pads, anyway?

The potential for bacterial growth isn't huge if you keep clean. These pads allow for the area to breath more, unlike commercial pads with plastic liners and rayon for absorption, thus it's not the type of breeding ground for bacteria that you would have with commercial pads.

You don't have to wash them every time you go to the washroom. Check out the information on that one page, I'll post more in a bit.

There are other products availible, I'm compiling information to post.

With regard to not wanting to wear pads.. there are organic cotton tampons availible that aren't bleached with chlorine.

I have no idea how to do mini-quotes as you just did But damn, I feel like you are picking on the non-conformist

I don't suggest that we go live in the woods(probably because there isn't enough woods to live in anymore since man has chopped them all down)

I'm only pointing out the obvious. Nature has been severely mistreated and now we all suffer for it. We are a part of nature. If you trace the root of cancer you will find that it evolved due to something that man has created and implemented into our lives. Yes you are right, cell changes are what actually causes cancer to invade but what caused the cell changes in the first place??? Synthetics for one, pollution for two, insecticides for three...need I go on?

All I'm saying is that maybe we are not meant to hide, conceal, cover up or use something "man made" to absorb what nature intended. And if someone said we shouldn't be bleeding freely, then why are we now having to suffer the effects of what can happen by using an absorbant pad or tampon??

[edit on 10/21/04 by magestica]

Originally posted by magestica
And if someone said we shouldn't be bleeding freely, then why are we now having to suffer the effects of what can happen by using an absorbant pad or tampon??

Not only that - Also that we should be ashamed of it, be discreet and not talk about it. If people were more open about this, information on alternatives might be more well known and worries of these toxins would be lessened.

Based on the same idea as normal tampons, sea sponge tampons are made from sea sponges. They are absorbant, re-usable, and not linked to TSS.

Menstruation.com

Sea sponge tampons can be used for 3-8 cycles, are to be boiled before and after you cycle and washed between applications.

Also, ecologically speaking, each time sponges are harvested millions of sperm and egg are released resulting in a renewable source. Some don't like the idea of using a once living thing, however.

Originally posted by parrhesia
Not only that - Also that we should be ashamed of it, be discreet and not talk about it. If people were more open about this, information on alternatives might be more well known and worries of these toxins would be lessened.

*oops* Edit
You definitely receive an applaud from me for this topic parrhesia You are so right that women are *taught* to remain hush hush about that time of the month. Even most parents of the previous generation didn't talk about menstruation with their children. Why? Because their parents didn't discuss it either nor their parents and so on...

It boils down to this. We menstruate so we can procreate. There should not be anything gross or embarrassing about our bodies doing what nature intended them to do. So why must it be concealed? It's seems such a painless price to pay for having the ablilty to create human life. Now even that ability is diminishing...







[edit on 10/21/04 by magestica]