[137] in peace2
Evil tampons
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robin Macdonald)
Thu Mar 16 12:28:00 2000
Message-Id: <4.1.20000316121748.009e7660@po10.mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 12:31:28 -0500
To: peace-list@mit.edu
From: Robin Macdonald <robinmac@MIT.EDU>
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I haven't heard about this asbestos business before, but the rest at least
it terribly true. Organic Essential cost $7-something at the Harvest Coop,
which is a bit pricier than the suggested retail price ($6.25). If anyone
if interested in ordering, I found some web sites where you can get them
cheaper. We might also save money ordering together.
http://shopeco.com/home
http://www.greenmarketplace.com
Robin
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 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 @ 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). I'll tell you this, 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, 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 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 fibers 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, 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, O.B.,
Kotex. Call the 800 numbers listed on the boxes. Let them know that we
demand a safe product - ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.
Program Administrator
CETI Program Advisor
MIT Japan and China Program
MIT E38-600
292 Main St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-258-7331
robinmac@mit.edu
http://web.mit.edu/MISTI/www/china.htm
