Reasons to Avoid Disposable Feminine Products
Posted in Personal Care, Feminine Hygiene by Lea on the April 26th, 2006
Although disposable pads aren’t beneficial economically or environmentally, there are more reasons to avoid using menstrual pads and tampons.
Did I say “disposable?”. “Disposable” pads take approximately 500 years before they begin to partially biodegrade. The plastic used in mestrual pads, or as tampon aplicators, take even longer.
They contain chlorine, a noxious substance. Disposable feminine products are made from rayon, a material made from chlorine gas (or chlorine dioxide bleached wood pulp). This rayon is then bleached with chlorine, a noxious substance.
They promote bacteria. Rayon produces staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This bacteria has been proven to cause toxic shock syndrome (TSS), particularly with tampon use.
The manufacturing processes causes dioxin, a carcinogen, to form. The process of chlorine-bleaching rayon forms dioxin, a carginogen easily absorbed by mucous membranes. The FDA has warned that the risk of dioxin in menstrual products “can be quite high,” and the most effective strategy would be to eliminate dioxin in menstrual products altogether.
They are linked to breast cancer and other illnesses. Research has linked dioxin to breast cancer, infertility, birth defects, and reproductive disorders.
They can cause toxic shock syndrome. The tampon industry denies the toxicity of tampons, despite deaths of women from toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Reasearchers from the New York University School of Medicine tested 20 US varieties of tampons and found all 20 had the ability to cause TSS.
They are the source of vaginal itching and yeast infections. Plastic is used in feminine hygiene products, as a layer on the bottom of menstrual pads as well as in form of “mesh” on the top layer. These synthetic instances actually lock in moisture, leading to vaginal itching and irritation, as well as promoting yeast infection.
They promote bleeding. The irritation from chlorine and dioxin is known to irritate the lining of the uterus, causing more bleeding and effectively lengthening periods.
Last but not least, they aren’t cost-efficient. The average woman uses approximately 15,000 disposable products in her lifetime. That comes out to a cost of $3000.00 a woman spends on items she just throws away.
-Lea
