Tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome Dangers

[AnGe|ic]

*What is a tampon?
A tampon is a plug of cotton or other absorbent material inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb fluid. The most common type in daily use is a usually disposable plug that is designed to be inserted into a woman's vagina during menstruation to absorb the flow of blood. The use of these devices has occasionally caused serious health related issues, such as infection and even death in rare cases In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates tampons as medical devices.

*Toxic Shock Syndrome:
Tampons have been shown to have a connection to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a rare but sometimes fatal disease caused by bacterial infection. The U.S. FDA suggests the following guidelines for decreasing the risk of contracting TSS when using tampons:

• Follow package directions for insertion
• Choose the lowest absorbency for your flow
• Change your tampon at least every 4 to 8 hours
• Consider alternating disposable or cloth pads with tampons
• Avoid tampon usage overnight when sleeping
• Know the warning signs of toxic shock syndrome
• Don't use tampons between periods

*Warning Signs of TSS :

1. Body temperature > 38.9 °C (102.02 °F)
2. Systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg
3. Diffuse rash, intense etheraderma, blanching ("boiled lobster") with subsequent desquamation, especially of the palms and soles
4. Involvement of three or more organ systems:
   • GI (vomiting, diarrhea)
   • Mucous membrane hyperemia (vaginal, oral, conjunctival)
   • Renal failure (serum creatinine > 2x normal)
   • Hepatic inflammation (AST, ALT > 2x normal)
   • Thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 100,000 / mm³)
   • CNS involvement (confusion without any focal neurological findings)

*Other Tampons Health Concerns:
Many chemicals are present in tampons, including pesticides used on the cotton and chlorine used to bleach the tampons. Some of the chemicals used to bleach tampons have been implicated in the formation of dioxin. A study by the FDA done in 1995 says there are not significant amounts of dioxin to pose a health risk; the amount detected ranged from undetectable to 1 part in 3 trillion, which is far less than the normal exposure to dioxin in everyday life. However, the presence of dioxin in a product that enters a major body orifice, where there is more risk of absorption, caused a great deal of concern. Nevertheless, manufacturers insist that bleaching is needed to produce effective products, despite tampons not using bleaching or chemical treatment being available.
Another concern is related to the use of rayon in tampons. Rayon consists of tiny strings of plastic. Some speculate that these strands of plastic can cause microtears on the vaginal wall when inserted and taking out. There is further speculation that, if microtears are present, the condition could leave the vagina more open to infection.
Although some say that 100% cotton tampons may be safer than using tampons with a cotton and rayon mix because of there being less dioxin, there is still a risk with all-cotton tampons. All-cotton tampons are generally harder to find and usually cost more than generic tampon brands. Some researchers claim that although switching to a 100% cotton alternative reduces the risk of TSS, it does not remove it entirely. We are also exposed to dioxins in other ways, so eliminating dioxin in tampons will not mean there will be no contact with dioxin in the environment.
Fiber loss along with damage done to the vaginal tissue from fiber has also been a concern, but fiber loss is more likely with all-cotton tampons. Furthermore, as tampons are absorbent and placed within an area such as the vagina this significantly increases risk of bacterial infections.

*Alternative Choices :

Disposable

• disposable menstrual pads (sanitary napkins/towels)
• organic tampons
• organic menstrual pads (sanitary napkins/towels)
• Diaphragm-style menstrual cups

Reusable

• Menstrual cup made of silicone, or gum rubber. (Examples include the DivaCup and The Keeper/Moon Cup).
• diaphragm as menstrual cup
• cloth menstrual pads
• homemade menstrual pads
• homemade tampons
• Free-flow (layering [using layers of clothing to avoid obvious leaking] or instinctive [learning to recognize when you will bleed])
• padded panties/period pants/Lunapanties
• sea sponges (used like tampons)