Cramping all over? Free bleeding? Throwing up multiple times? Hormonal imbalances? Mood swings? Upset stomach? These pains are only a fragment of a woman’s pain during their menstrual cycle. We live in a world where women are promised safe health with products such as tampons, pads, and even menstrual cups. However, even these products can cause risk to reproductive health based on a study conducted by the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
Recently, UC Berkeley researchers have identified 16 heavy metals in tampons from almost 14 different U.S. tampon brands. While all 16 toxins are not in every tampon brand, there was one common find. 100% of the tampons, non-organic and organic, tested contained lead. Non-organic tampons had full traces of lead, and organic tampons had full traces of arsenic, even though they consisted of 100% genuine cotton.
These metals could have been from the soil in which the cotton grew. They could also have come from the pesticides used in organic farming. While some metals can be used as antimicrobials, killing harmful bacteria, we cannot say the same for all identified metals.
The more unfortunate part of this study is that there were no significant differences between the brands and organic/inorganic tampons in determining which ones are safer. The central fact is simply that all of these tampons were declared DANGEROUS to a woman’s health. The toxic metals can increase the risk of infertility, diabetes, and cancer. Toxic metals put body parts in harm’s way, such as the cardiovascular system, brain, liver, kidneys, and even the endocrine system. There isn’t a way to determine whether a tampon brand may be safe, so it is more efficient for a woman to look into safer menstrual products, such as pads, menstrual cups, and period underwear.
Take it easy on the women that you may be surrounded by. Menstruation makes their lives difficult, and with this new study being an additional thing to worry about, we must learn how to help each other. Being a woman is hard enough, so let’s find ways to make it easier.
Works Cited
“First Study to Measure Toxic Metals in Tampons Shows Arsenic and Lead, among Other Contaminants.” Berkeley Public Health, 12 July 2024, publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/first-study-to-measure-toxic-metals-in-tampons-shows-arsenic-and lead#:~:text=Tampons%20from%20several%20brands%20that,UC%20Berkeley%20researcher%20has%20found.
“Tampons May Contain Arsenic, Lead, and Other Toxic Heavy Metals: Study.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/toxic-heavy-metals-lead-arsenic-tampons-what-to-know#Call-to-action-for-safer-tampon-guidelines. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.