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"Virus Hoax:
Urband Legend Example"
Virus Hoax Warnings: Page 20
of 57
Tampons, Asbestos, and Dioxin
March 2001
This message claims that "A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of
Colorado at Boulder" researched tampons and found that they contain
dangerous levels of asbestos and dioxin. While there are risks with
using tampons, those risks are not associated with any possible asbestos
or dioxin content in the tampons. The FDA examined tampons and says that
"The available scientific evidence does not support these rumors." There
is also a very nice, point by point discussion of this message and its
errors of fact and logic on the snopes site.
Please pass on to as many women as possible . . .If you are a woman and
use pads, but especially if you use tampons, read this and pass on to
your friends. (For the men receiving this e-mail, please forward it to
your friends, significant others, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc.)
Thanks!
Check the labels of the sanitary pads or tampons that you are going to
buy the next time, and see whether you spot any of the familiar signs
stated in this email.
No wonder so many women in the world suffer from cervical cancer and
womb tumors. Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in
tampons? Why would they do this? 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 at Boulder sent the
following: "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 women,
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, I want to inform everyone I can, and e-mail 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 also been linked to
endometriosis and 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 "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 and that are all
cotton. 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, few
companies that make these safe tampons. They are usually only found in
health food stores. Countries all over the world (Sweden, Germany,
Canada, 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 TO 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.
Copyright 2004 by Jay Jennings
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