| Dioxin in Tampons & more IS INTERNET HOAX | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: S. Hamer (shamer_ excite.com)
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| Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 06:36:32 -0700 (MST) | |
Hello everyone,
I am a school Library Media Specialist and I have access to lots of magazine
databases. Anyone with the internet has access to sites that track internet
hoaxes. Two of these sites are:
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/hoax/
Almost ALL of the warnings or heart-rendering letters you get in email are
hoaxes. I urge all of you to book mark these sites, and send this to anyone
you already passed this hoax info on to. We all need to stop this immoral
proliforation of false, and sometimes damaging information.
Here are 2 articles on the topic of tampons, first from a Denver newspaper
and the second form the publication, FDA Consumer:
TAMPON RUMOR HAS NO BASIS Relevancy: 100; (
Denver Rocky Mountain News ) Rebecca Jones; Denver Rocky
Mountain News Staff Writer; 01-02-2000 Size: 2K Reading
Level: 8.
TAMPON RUMOR HAS NO BASIS
I read on the Internet that tampons contain asbestos. True?
You can read a lot of worrisome things on the Internet. Just ask Pierre
Salinger. As for whether tampons contain asbestos, the answer depends on
whether you believe the federal government and most tampon makers - who say
they don't - or the makers of alternative all-cotton unbleached tampons, who
suggest most commercial tampons are, in fact, potential health hazards.
Here's what the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, an arm of the
Food and Drug Administration, has to say about this latest Internet rumor.
"Unfounded rumors on the Internet have suggested that U.S. tampon
manufacturers add asbestos to their products to promote excessive menstrual
bleeding in order to sell more tampons. FDA has no evidence of asbestos in
tampons or any reports regarding increased menstrual bleeding following
tampon use. Before any tampon is marketed in the United States, FDA reviews
its design and materials. Asbestos is not an ingredient in any U.S. brand of
tampon, nor is it associated with the fibers used in making tampons.''
A related rumor has tampons containing dioxin, a toxic chemical. The FDA
pooh-poohs those fears, too. Health officials say that it' s possible there
are trace amounts of dioxin in tampons but that the amounts are so
negligible - roughly equal to 1 teaspoon in a 1-square- mile lake that is 15
feet deep - as to be virtually undetectable.
Heaven knows the federal government doesn't have a corner on the truth
market. And we're glad folks are asking these questions. But until we see
harder evidence of a problem, we're not about to suggest to a sister with
PMS that tampons may betray her.
Copyright © 2000, Denver Publishing Co.
Rebecca Jones; Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer, TAMPON RUMOR
HAS NO
BASIS. , Denver Rocky Mountain News, 01-02-2000, pp 17D.
Internet Rumors About Tampons Refuted Relevancy: 100; (
FDA Consumer ) ; 03-01-1999 Size: 3K Reading Level: 11.
Internet rumors that call into question the safety of tampons are unfounded,
according to FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which
regulates tampons and other medical devices. There is no evidence, the
agency says, to support unattributed allegations that tampons are
contaminated with asbestos and dioxin and that rayon fibers in tampons cause
toxic shock syndrome, or TSS.
One Internet claim is that U.S. tampon manufacturers add asbestos to their
products to promote excessive menstrual bleeding in order to sell more
tampons. Asbestos is not, and never has been, used to make tampon fibers,
according to FDA, which reviews the design and materials for all tampons
sold in the United States. The agency has no evidence of asbestos in tampons
and no reports of increased menstrual bleeding following tampon use.
It is also alleged that some tampons contain the chemical dioxin. Tampons
sold in the United States are made of cotton, rayon, or blends of the two
materials. Although past methods of chlorine bleaching of rayon's cellulose
fibers could lead to tiny amounts of dioxin (amounts that posed no health
risk to consumers), today, cellulose undergoes a chlorine-free bleaching
process resulting in finished tampons that have no detectable level of
dioxin. More information on dioxin and tampons is available on FDA's Website
at www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/tampons.html.
Another claim that appeared on the Internet is that rayon in tampons causes
TSS, as well as dryness, ulcerations or lacerations in vaginal tissues that
could make a woman more susceptible to other infections and diseases.
While there is a relationship between tampon use and toxic shock
syndromeabout half of TSS cases today are associated with tampon usethere
is no evidence that rayon tampons create a higher risk than cotton tampons
with similar absorbency.
Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but potentially fatal disease caused by a
bacterial toxin. TSS reports have decreased significantly in recent years,
with only five confirmed menstrually related cases reported in 1997,
compared with a high of 814 cases in 1980.
Research by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests
that some high-absorbency tampons may increase the risk of TSS in
menstruating women. There is no evidence, however, that the material from
which a tampon is made contributes to TSS or to vaginal dryness, ulcerations
or lacerations.
Women may avoid problems, the agency says, by choosing a tampon with the
lowest absorbency needed to control menstrual flow. Also, women are
encouraged to read the information about preventing and recognizing TSS
provided in the labeling for tampons, and to ask their health- care
providers about the condition. For more information on TSS, go to FDA's
Website at
www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/topicindexes/tampons.html.
The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is
reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in
violation of the copyright is prohibited.
© 1999 U.S. Food and Drug Administration All Rights Reserved.
Author not available, Internet Rumors About Tampons Refuted. Vol. 33
no, FDA Consumer,
03-01-1999.
On Mon, 10 Jan 2000 14:00:18 -0600, marchpower [at] worldnet.att.net wrote:
> Hi All!
>
> I've heard about this before and it definately has some substance to
> it...although this woman is a bit overly emotional sounding. Please look
> more into this with whatever resources are available to you...I stopped
> using tampons because of the dioxin issue regardless of the other one
> mentioned in this. Please send on...
>
> > > << >
> > > >> URGENT WOMAN'S HEALTH ALERT RE USING TAMPONS
> > > >>
> > > >> This is pretty interesting and somewhat shocking ... if you
> > > >use pads,
> > > >> > but especially if you use tampons OR CARE ABOUT ANYONE WHO
> > > >DOES,
> > > >> read this and pass on to your friends
> > > >> (for the men receiving this email, please forward it to your
> > > >> friends, significant others, sisters, mothers, daughters,
> > > >etc.)
> > > >> thanks!
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in
> > > >tampons?
> > > >> > Why? 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
> > > >> > they 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:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Read on if you value your health. "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,
> > > >> 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 been linked to endometriosis as well as 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 (which
> > > >causes the
> > > >> dioxin) and that are all cotton.
> > > >> > (the rayon will leave fibers and "breeding grounds" in the
> > > >vagina).
> > > >> > 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 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.
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> > Thank you.
> > > >> > Donna C. Boisseau
> > > >> > Stephanie C. Baker; Assistant to Dr. B.S. Katzenellenbogen,
> > > >> > Professor
> > > >> > University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Department of
> > > >> > Molecular and Integrative Physiology; (217) 333-9769
> > >
> > > >>
> > >
> >
>
Sharon Hamer
Cambridge Cohousing
shamer_ [at] excite.com
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