How Safe are our Feminine Hygiene Products?

I remember reading an article more than 10 years ago about the materials that are used to make all of our normal feminine hygiene products.  I remember being shocked and vowing to only purchase a particular brand from then on.

And just in the last week I was again reminded when I watched a video on Youtube made by Dr Joseph Mercola, covering the same topic.  And again I was shocked!  Could it be possible that the materials and processes involved in making these products can cause harm to our health?

The average woman in her lifetime will use on average 17,000 disposable sanitary pads and tampons.  That not only has a huge impact on landfill, but even small amounts of chemical ingredients in your products can add up to massive exposure over our menstruating years.  Our skin readily absorbs what we put onto it, and because sanitary napkins and tampons are used next to our skin, or inserted into our bodies, we need to pay particular attention to the chemicals that are used in their manufacture.

Sanitary napkins and tampons are often made from a combination of Viscose and Cotton, these are both very absorbent materials.  These materials are then heavily bleached leaving chemical residue on the sanitary item.

One area of concern is the level of dioxins in commercially available sanitary items. Dioxins are unwanted by - products of a wide range of manufacturing processes including chlorine bleaching. 

Dioxins are environmental pollutants. They have the dubious distinction of belonging to the “dirty dozen” - a group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants.

Dioxins are of concern because of their highly toxic potential. Experiments have shown they affect a number of organs and systems. Once dioxins have entered the body, they endure a long time because of their chemical stability and their ability to be absorbed by fat tissue, where they are then stored in the body.   Repeated exposure to dioxins increases our bodies chemical load.

Key Facts about Dioxins

Dioxins are a group of chemically-related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants.     

Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.

Due to the omnipresence of dioxins, all people have background exposure, which is not expected to affect human health. However, due to the highly toxic potential of this class of compounds, efforts need to be undertaken to reduce current background exposure.

Prevention or reduction of human exposure is best done via source-directed measures, i.e. strict control of industrial processes to reduce formation of dioxins as much as possible.

So what are our alternatives when it comes to choosing the right feminine hygiene products for ourselves?

If you are choosing disposable napkins and tampons, choose brands that have been made from unbleached organic cotton.  Cotton is one of the most highly pesticided crops that is grown.  Choosing unbleached and organic means there are no pesticides used to grow the cotton, and there are no nasty by – products of the chemical bleaching process.  TSS (Toxic shock syndrome) is greatly reduced by using organic cotton tampons.

Cloth pads are another option.  Not only do they save you money because they are re-usable, you are also not adding to the tonnes of landfill generated by disposable sanitary items.  Cloth pads are available in a huge variety of colours, styles, thicknesses etc.  There are even instructions online on how to make them!

Another option available are “mooncups” or similar reusable menstrual cups.  These cups are made from medical grade latex, and are inserted inside the vagina to collect menstrual fluid.   These are a fantastic alternative to tampons, and can be used during sport, or water activities. 

Below are some suppliers of organic and re-usable feminine hygiene products. www.organicbamboobaby.com.au – reusable cloth pads and mooncups         www.tomorganic.com.au – organic cotton tampons                                                         Don’t forget to try your local health store!