While attending a seminar on herbal medicines for male and female fertility a few weeks ago I was shocked to (re)learn just how toxic non organic tampons are. Yes it was that time of the month for me and I was using non organic sanitary items (don’t you simply hate that term “sanitary pads” or “sanitary items”, like menstrual bleeding somehow needs sanitising?). I went cold and numb as the truth hit home.
I’d always looked at organic pads and tampons and thought “hmmm, can’t really justify the extra $$$ for these”. Needless to say I rushed home from the conference to do a little bit of research:
The membranes of your reproductive tract are highly absorbent, much more so than your skin.
Some of the chemicals you may be subjecting your reproductive organs to each month include:
10% of the all world’s pesticides and 22.5% of insecticides are used to grow non organic cotton.
It’s estimated that one third of a pound of chemicals is used to produce the cotton for one cotton t-shirt – how much ends up in your tampon?
The toxicity of Dioxins is widely believed to be second only to radioactive waste.
As little as a few parts per trillion in has been linked to cancer and hormone disruption including a range of fertility problems such endometriosis. Dioxins are produced as a by product of the chlorine bleaching process to produce brilliant white cotton tampons and pads. As consumers we have been conditioned into associating brilliant white cotton with purity and cleanliness lulling us into a false sense of security about using toxic feminie hygiene products.
Research shows that Phthalates alter hormone levels and may cause birth defects including altered genital development in baby boys. Phthalates mimic oestrogen in your body.
Found in the plastic and rayon coatings of pads and tampons, phthalates are used to make plastics flexible and transparent. Phthalates are stored in your body fat, which can be released when you’re pregnant so limiting your exposure before pregnancy is vital.
Choose organic, unbleached cotton tampons to protect your health and your fertility (and the health of your future children).
Sarah Luck Natural Health Consultant Herbal Medicine, Food-as-Medicine, Pregnancy Massage Sydney, Australia
Jul 20th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
This was an eye opener! Yes, definitely avoid non-organics!
I’ve used a Moon Cup (Keeper, Diva Cup) for many years, happily & easily, especially when we’ve been overseas & I didn’t want to have to buy those things in the street markets! Cups are great, & hold the flow all day, no worries! The older ones are made from latex (can be an allergen to some); the newer ones are all made from silicon, so 100% hypoallergenic. Definitely the way to go!
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 12:17 am
Thanks for the info Anita!
My sister told me years ago that she had heard of something like this. I did a search on the web and have gotten in touch with a supplier from WA. $45 each, $8 postage (The Keeper) They’re not cheap - but I guess they’ll last!
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 4:54 am
More ridiculous ranting from an unqualified, uneducated buffoon! Well Done Sally, keep it coming!
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 4:56 am
More unintelligible ranting from an uneducated buffoon. Well done Salley, keep it coming!!!
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 6:12 am
Hi Amanda!
Yes, you’re right, it’s an investment in your health, as they last for about 10 yrs, with good care. Imagine the savings! (It’ s approximated by the ebay seller to be ~$1145 over 10 yrs.) Another site said this- Most women spend at least double the price of ‘The Keeper in one year on sanitary products - some even more than this if they have a heavy flow. After only seven months or less, you will have saved the money you paid for your ‘Keeper’.
The Keeper is made from brown latex, whereas the DivaCup is made from silicone (100% hypoallergenic). The DivaCup is far more trendy & cute, I think. I bought one for our daughter for about $30 last year. It came in a sweet little carry bag. There’s 2 going on ebay.au now.
The smaller size is for ladies who haven’t had a baby; the larger size is for those who have. Here is some more info. on choosing which kind of cup- http://labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/clothpads/Cups.html
One of the best things is- no cramps-ever. I don’t even know I’m wearing it, really-it’s that discreet, after the initial getting used to it.
Anyway, it’s one of the best things I’ve bought- I highly recommend !!
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dear Henry
I have found that most people who throw about random comments and rants containing words such as “uneducated”, “buffoon”, “ridiculous” are themselves often the victims of a poor education. For a start, perhaps you are illiterate, as my name is clearly spelt Sarah, not Salley or Sally. Perhaps you had trouble reading and understanding my article and this is why your short post contained no evidence to dispute any of my claims.
• Do you disagree that non organic cotton is one of the most heavily pesticide and herbicide sprayed crops?
• Do you disagree that dioxins are not a byproduct of the bleaching of cotton?
• Do you have any evidence that dioxins and chemical residue is removed from cotton after processing?
• Do you have any evidence proving that dioxins are indeed a safe and innocuous chemical (like DDT was once believed to be?)
• Do you disagree that phthalates are not used as plasticizing agents in the production of plastics?
• Are you aware of the wealth of scientific opinion on the potential dangers of phthalates and animal studies that show phthalates function as xenoestrogens and are linked to birth defects, particularly in male offspring?
• Do you disagree that the mucous membranes of the female vagina are not highly absorbent to substances placed in close contact with them?
• Do you disagree that tampon use is associated with potentially life threatening conditions such as toxic shock syndrome?
I am happy to provide you with the evidence that I have used to formulate this opinion on the potential toxicity of non organic bleached cotton tampons and would be pleased to review any that you have disputing any of these claims. I am always open to new information and research.
Yours in good health
Sarah Luck
Jul 24th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Hi Henry
I have found that most people who throw about random comments and rants containing words such as “uneducated”, “buffoon”, “ridiculous” are themselves often the victims of a poor education. For a start, perhaps you are illiterate, as my name is clearly spelt Sarah, not Salley or Sally.—————————————————————————————————————————————
Henry’s Response: Please accept my apologies for the incorrect labeling, I thought the venerable Sally Fallon had written that little gem too. A word of note, by contributing to http://nourishedmagazine.com.au your tacit acknowledgment of the “truth” everything Sally Fallon (B.A. - an arts degree is a clear indication of her “nutrition” credentials) has to say, is assured. So for the record, I’m not illiterate. ———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Perhaps you had trouble reading and understanding my article and this is why your short post contained no evidence to dispute any of my claims. ———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Henry’s Response: I didn’t have trouble reading your article, however understanding your logic it was way beyond me.
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Do you disagree that non organic cotton is one of the most heavily pesticide and herbicide sprayed crops? Henry’s Response: No disagreement here, but your article appears on a website regarding human health, not a site dedicated to saving insects & weeds.————————————————————————————————————————————–
Do you disagree that dioxins are not a byproduct of the bleaching of cotton? ———————————————————————————————————————————————–
Henry’s Response:Are you genuinely naive enough to think the Therapeutic Goods Administration don’t check the levels of dioxin (and other toxins) in ALL consumer products? By the way, if you’re going to freak out about dioxins, best to move to somewhere slightly less industrialised (like maybe Somalia - although even wood fires may contain the levels likely found in tampons). Look out for the pirates.————————————————————————————————————————————–
Do you have any evidence that dioxins and chemical residue is removed from cotton after processing? Henry’s Response: See above, the TGA isn’t full of morons. “Chemical residue” - study some chemistry before you banter that word around.————————————————————————————————————————————-
Do you have any evidence proving that dioxins are indeed a safe and innocuous chemical (like DDT was once believed to be?)—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Henry’s Response:Now I’m certain you’re an idiot. No, I don’t think dioxins are safe and “innocuous” - nice word though, it makes you sound cleverer than the average person (i.e. one without an advanced diploma in naturopathy - aka quack medicine).———————————————————————————————————————————
Do you disagree that phthalates are not used as plasticizing agents in the production of plastics? ———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Henry’s Response: Quick, run out & remove all polymers from your home/car/computer. You wouldn’t want to touch plastic, it’s so volatile.———————————————————————————————————————————— Are you aware of the wealth of scientific opinion on the potential dangers of phthalates and animal studies that show phthalates function as xenoestrogens and are linked to birth defects, particularly in male offspring? Henry’s Response: Stop eating them, if that’s your concern.———————————————————————————————————————————–
Do you disagree that the mucous membranes of the female vagina are not highly absorbent to substances placed in close contact with them?————————————————————————————————————————————–
Henry’s Response: No disagreement here, Sally’s little helper.————————————————————————————————————————————-
Do you disagree that tampon use is associated with potentially life threatening conditions such as toxic shock syndrome?——————————————————————————————————————————–
Henry’s Response: Now you’ve totally blown me away. I thought you were ranting about dioxin & phthalates? Now you’re on about toxic shock syndrome? Surely the best prevention of TSS is to use a pad? Why are you misleading women that an “organic” tampon won’t lead to TSS? The two issues are completely separate. ———————————————————————————————————————————————-
I am happy to provide you with the evidence that I have used to formulate this opinion on the potential toxicity of non organic bleached cotton tampons and would be pleased to review any that you have disputing any of these claims. I am always open to new information and research. ———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Henry’s Response: Shouldn’t you qualify this be saying “if the new research is conducted my well qualified quacks with certificates on their office wall saying “Advance Diploma in Naturopathy”. Your credentials are farcical, your choice of a career is a product of the fear that the average Joe Public has about science. If it’s too difficult to take the time to read the literature &/or formalise your knowledge with a U-N-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y education, perhaps you should have just stuck to hairdressing. Science is based on opinion, its based on research. (not research conducted on google Sarah, research in the field & in labs. Both of which have been conducted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, not by naturopaths who were too stupid to study at the University of Sydney).
Yours in good science,
Henry
Jul 24th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Hi Sarah
its great to have you back!
Once Joanne used the term “troll” in a discussion on Isac’s blog on vaccination. I didn’t know what that meant until now.
Thanks for this important info above, every women should know. We also would benefit from one of these on shampoos and hair dyes!
Jul 24th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Henry, no true intellect (with or without a U-N-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y education) would ever be convinced by your ad hominem argument. You sound very angry (toxic) Henry. Makes me wonder why a man like you is reading this blog. My guess would be that you’re looking for some nourishing.
Sarah: it’s a great article by the way. Keep on going Sally’s little helper :0)…. But don’t waste your words on trolls - save them for people who are genuinly asking for advice.
Jul 24th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Henry, no true intellect (with or without a U-N-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y education) would ever be convinced by your ad hominem argument. You sound very angry (toxic) Henry. Makes me wonder why a man like you is reading this blog. My guess is that you’re looking for some nousishing.
Sarah: great info -thanks. Keep on going Sally’s little helper :0)…..but don’t waste your words on trolls - save them for people who are genuinly looking for advice.
Jul 25th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Henry, you are a twit! You can get a degree in naturopathy from universities and private colleges. Did you even check if sarah has a degree? Anyway, thats beside the point, that even naturopaths with “only” advanced diplomas are still capable of intelligent thought and science based research.
Jul 28th, 2009 at 3:17 am
No doubt Henry is sounding somewhat vituperative, but he serves a vital purpose – most people seem to accept Sarah’s unreferenced information without question. Why? Same reason those hoax emails about missing children keep going around and around - the emotional tug smothers the instinct to doubt. Advertisers love it, the internet wallows in it.
Jul 29th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Henry…just for the record, I didn’t go to collage. I’m your average blue collar “Jane”. This article didn’t put fear into my head, it made me think. It gave me information that I can use to draw my own conclusions. You need to step outside the box and realize that everything isn’t safe just because a company’s say it’s safe. People are being diagnosed and dieing at an alarming rate, from cancer. Why is that? Could be any thing…Could be a group of things…Processed food, tephlon pans, plastics & chemicals in our homes, cars and computers, chemicals in cleaning solvents, pesticides on fruits and vegetables, genetically engineered fruits and vegetables, chemicals in laundry detergent, chemicals in Shampoos and Conditioners, hormones in the meat. This is just a small list. Why do you think our products are mostly made in China and Third World countries? They don’t have the regulations that the US has or other “First World” countries do. I am not a quack, I am a thinker. If there is something that I can do to be healthier and more aware of what I put in my body I’m definitely going to check it out. I don’t fault you for giving your opinion but you aren’t a woman either. Have you ever suffered with TSS as a result of using tampons? Have you ever suffered with Endometriosis? You may have known someone who has or does. Only for a physician to say “I don’t know what caused this, could be anything”.
Aug 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 am
Sarah, this was a great post. I just recently discovered your blog.
I used to suffer from endometriosis, even had a surgery for it. The thing that eventually healed me was changing my diet to follow the Nourishing Traditions and Weston A. Price Foundation dietary guidelines. Are you familiar with the Endometriosis Association? They are based in the U.S. but have members worldwide. (http://www.endometriosisassn.org) They advocate a very similar dietary approach, a no-sugar, anti-yeast, immune system-building diet. (I don’t think they know about things like FCLO yet though.) The immune approach combined with endocrinology is at the leading edge of endo research. And they have been warning of the dangers of dioxins for years. Research has shown that endo can be induced in female lab monkeys through dioxin exposure, so the link is not merely theoretical. There is hard science in this area, as you well know; too bad it hasn’t trickled down to the trolls yet.
You have far more patience that I do to tolerate the angry, hateful e-mail from that twit who shall not be named.
I am a big fan of Sally Fallon, having met her and been able to ask her questions and get good answers at a conference I attended where she spoke. I’ve heard several of her lectures and read much of what she has written, both in Wise Traditions journal and archived on the Weston A. Price website. The fact that she has a degree in English doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of learning about science, which she obviously has, during her many years of close collaboration with leading biochemist Mary Enig, PhD. I have found Sally to be careful in what she says, she doesn’t make things up on the fly, she doesn’t claim more than there is evidence for. She has a scientific mind and understanding and is an indefatigable researcher. Anyone who dismisses her on the basis of her English degree is simply confused about the meaning of the word “education.” A formal degree is not the only way to gain knowledge, nor is it the only marker of said knowledge. My degrees are in Japanese and International Business, but I am far more interested in nutrition and health. Actually, I’m about to embark upon a nutrition degree. I don’t believe the fact that I studied Japanese literature and language in my 20s means I’m incapable of learning anything else in life ( now 51). Of course, you know all this. Perhaps if the trolls are lingering still, they might learn something new.
Cheers,
Jeanmarie
Aug 3rd, 2009 at 8:30 am
Anita, YOu have used diva cup for a while? I tried it and can’t quite get the hang of it. I’ve used a product called “instead” for a while and it’s easier to use, but it is plastic, and also disposable. The diva would be so much better if it were more user friendly. All said and done, I think this cup idea is much better than tampons.
Aug 6th, 2009 at 3:00 am
I work in marketing and am looking at this thread for market research purposes Henry, what’s your excuse? Also, since when was Science based on opinion? I know my Masters degree in International Relations and History won’t qualify me to comment on the science behind either of your claims but it doesn’t take a scientist to recognise that you are a very angry little man! What’s wrong? Are you on your period? Don’t let your vagina hit you on the way out. Haha.
Aug 7th, 2009 at 2:43 am
Hi Audrey,
Yes, I’ve used the Diva cup for over 10 years, & am quite happy with it. It just takes a bit of getting used to, at first. It’s all in the fold, that you need to master first (there’s a web link to that, back there at post No. 5). Then, it’s a breeze to use. The “Instead”s sound good, but a bit more $$. There’s also cloth pads, as an alternative to the bleached ones.
Thanks Sarah, for all your research. Knowing the facts is enough to keep me from buying those, & I’m certainly bringing up our daughter to avoid using those products herself.
Anita.