[141] in peace2
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daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (J Sam Arey)
Thu Mar 16 15:09:55 2000
Message-Id: <200003162009.PAA16580@muck.mit.edu>
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 15:09:42 -0500
From: J Sam Arey <arey@MIT.EDU>
Peace,
Asbestos in tampons is anything but a ridiculous claim.
Tampons were invented in the 30's, and were considered a miracle convenience
for women. The history of industry should give all women impetus to take
very seriously any information they might find about potential dangers of
materials in tampons.
Laurie Garrett has written a highly respected book called "The Coming
Plague," in which she meticulously documents the history of the tampon
industry as related to women's health (see Chapter: Feminine Hygiene (As
Debated, Mostly, by Men), 1995).
Asbestos, polyurethane, and organic alcohol polymers were used in tampons
for a long time, even though they were demonstrated to cause lesions,
lacerations and infections in lab tests. The Tampon industry has continually
refuted the idea that any materials it ever put in tampons could ever cause
any health effects, in many cases when the evidence was overwhelmingly
against them. Many women suffered as a result of the industry's battling
against efforts to improve the safety of the design and composition of
tampons for a long time.
If I used tampons, I would take it seriously if someone suggested that the
industry was making tampons that made me bleed more, or gave me healthy
problems, or led to my early demise. The tampon industry has hidden and
denied just such evidence on a systematic basis in the past. It's well
documented. Why should it be any different today?
sam
