THE "SERIOUS" E-MAIL: Tampons Are Dangerous!

Greetings!

This e-mail has been circulating like wildfire among women, especially college students.

Please get in touch and let me know if your organization will take an interest in these isues. More info can be found at my web site:
www.biobiz.com/terrafemme/uspoltam.htm

Thanks for listening,

in health,

Willi Nolan

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>IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!!!!!! >

> This is an important email that should be taken seriously, >although in the end it is your personal choice as to what to do about >it. I am writing this because we, as women, are not being informed about >the dangers of something most of us use--tampons. I'm taking a class >this month and I have been learning a lot about biology and the woman, >including much about feminine hygiene. Recently we have learned that >tampons are actually dangerous (for other reasons than TSS). Read on if >you're interested, if not, that's fine too. But 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 email is the fastest way that I know how. >

>HERE'S 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--they seem to think that we 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 a potentially >carcinogenic (cancer associated) and is toxic to the immune and >reproductive system. 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 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 and therefore when fibers from the tampons are left >behind in the vagina (as usually occurs), it creates a breeding ground >for the dioxin, and the chemical 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, Germany, 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). Personally I >think its time that the U.S. switches, and we need to make our voices heard. >

>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! Tell >everyone to write to the companies--Tampax (Tambrands), Playtex, O.B., >Kotex. Call the 1-800 numbers on the boxes. LET THEM KNOW THAT WE >DEMAND A SAFE PRODUCT--ALL COTTON, UNBLEACHED TAMPONS. The best thing to >do right now is to spread the word. If you're not comfortable giving up >tampons (although this is obviously the best way to make our voices >heard), try using less by alternating with pads (but remember that you >still must change your tampons as much because of TSS). > If anyone has anymore questions, please feel free to write and >ask. I have a whole packet of information and am willing to lend it >out. Please send this to everyone you know, let's get the ball rolling >and take control of what the industry is doing to our bodies.

> >Address and Phone numbers to write/call:

>Edward Fogarty, President | Cal Gauss, President
>Tambrands, Inc. | Playtex Products, Inc.
>777 Westchester Ave. | P.O. Box 7016
>White Plains, N.Y. 10604 | Dover, Del. 19903
> (302) 674-6000

>To send for all-cotton, bleach-free tampons call Bio Business

> International at
> (800) 755-0212
>

> Thank you for your time,
> Kelly Fuller (fullerk@stolaf.edu)
> 1500 St. Olaf Ave.
> Northfield, MN 55057-1001
>

>P.S. For those of you that are interested (and live near me), a bunch of >people in the class decided to order a big shipment of the 100% cotten, >unbleached tampons-- we got them wholesale ($3 for a box of 20, much >better than the $6-7 you'd pay in a store) so if anyone is interested in >buying a box or two, contact me ASAP.

> > > >