(no subject)
The
next time you buy sanitary pads or tampons, check the labels 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, didn't consider them
illegal or 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 @ 1-800-765-6491 and
Terra Femme @1-800-755-0212.A woman getting her PhD 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 women, including feminine hygiene. Recently we have learned that
tampons
are actually dangerous (for other reasons than TSS). 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, I 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, which is 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 sexes, it breaks down the immune system.
Last
September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that
there
really is no "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is
cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from
repeated
contact (Karen Couppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd
say
using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38 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
fibers
from the tampons are left behind in the vagina (as usually occurs),it
creates a breeding ground for the dioxin. It also stays in a lot longer
then
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. So, what can you do if you can't give up using
tampons?
Use tampons that are made from 100% 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, Germany,
Italy,
France, 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 America is not #1 in every arena. 50,000letters 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. All the 800 numbers are
listed on
the boxes. Let them know that we demand a safe product!
ALLCOTTONUNBLEACHED
TAMPONS...
next time you buy sanitary pads or tampons, check the labels 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, didn't consider them
illegal or 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 @ 1-800-765-6491 and
Terra Femme @1-800-755-0212.A woman getting her PhD 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 women, including feminine hygiene. Recently we have learned that
tampons
are actually dangerous (for other reasons than TSS). 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, I 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, which is 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 sexes, it breaks down the immune system.
Last
September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that
there
really is no "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is
cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from
repeated
contact (Karen Couppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd
say
using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38 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
fibers
from the tampons are left behind in the vagina (as usually occurs),it
creates a breeding ground for the dioxin. It also stays in a lot longer
then
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. So, what can you do if you can't give up using
tampons?
Use tampons that are made from 100% 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, Germany,
Italy,
France, 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 America is not #1 in every arena. 50,000letters 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. All the 800 numbers are
listed on
the boxes. Let them know that we demand a safe product!
ALLCOTTONUNBLEACHED
TAMPONS...