Source: Isabel Pavia / Getty
There’s a lot of talk out there about tampons. It seemed to all come out of nowhere in the last five to ten years. Is that just me? From the day I entered puberty and through my college years, if I was talking about a tampon, it was to ask a woman in a bar bathroom if I could have one, it was to remind myself to pack them for my trip, it was to make sure I consolidated my pharmacy coupons to get the best deal on tampons, and it was to let everyone know the tampon vending machine in the bathroom was broken so free tampons yay!!! Tampons were my ally and nothing else! They made life easier, eliminating the need to choose between attractive underwear or period protection, and even allowing me to still go swimming while menstruating!
Now, there’s a whole group (or several groups) of individuals who seem to think that tampons are the enemy. There are all of the organic and alternative tampon brands that have popped up, and the more holistic women who skip tampons, pads, and the whole lot of conventional products in favor of the Diva Cup. There are stories circling about women being hospitalized by tampons. This little soft item I’m just used to sticking in my purse or in, well, me and forgetting about it is being demonized. Does it deserve such a bad rap? I’ve gone 18 years using tampons—and those big brand, chemical-laced ones at that—without an issue.
Have the issues just not yet reared their ugly heads? Am I in for a wakeup call and some difficult doctor’s visits? Am I a monster for continuing to patronize those big name tampon companies? What’s the truth here? Should we be afraid of tampons? Let’s investigate.
Source: Jeff Greenberg / Getty
Ingredient regulation
Because tampons are considered a medical device, manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients on the packaging. In the same way you may not find the ingredients listed on, say, blood glucose testing strips for diabetics because it’s generally understood what these are and what they do, you often won’t find ingredients listed on tampons—a fact that concerns consumers.
