I have recently received this e-mail via a friend and would like to pass it on.

Please pass this 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 it on to your friends.
For the men receiving this email, 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, didn't consider them illegal or 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 @1-800) 765-6491
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 feminine hygiene. Recently we have learned that tampons are actually dangerous (for other reasons than TSS). 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 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, which is
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 sexes, it breaks down the immune system.
Last September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that there really is no "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is cumulative and slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from repeated contact (Karen Couppert "Pulling
the Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38 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 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% 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, 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 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. all the 800 numbers listed on the boxes.
Let them know that we demand a safe product ? ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.

OMG, I had no idea. Linda, thank you SO much for sharing this information. I guess the ol' Tampax were not as good as I thought.

This email about asbestos and tampons is said to be a hoax. See http://www.quackwatch.com/04Consumer...amponsfda.html If anyone has any info to the contrary please post it.

Toxic shock syndrome is not a hoax however. Dioxin too unfortunately is used in many other products many of us come in contact with daily.

Well, here's a bit of information.....

"Unfortunately most (feminine protection) contain MERCURY (yes, the toxic metal that is so harmful it was banned in paints!), THALLIUM (another metal that is as bad as mercury but doesn't have as good a publicist as mercury) and often a solvent(s).

"Most likely these toxic substances are present in tampons, etc. from the use of certain anti-septics. In an attempt to avoid bacterial contamination, mercurial anti-septics are often used. Mercury compounds often have thallium, too. And, of course, solvents typically accompany mercurial and non-mercurial anti-septics.

"Please do womankind a huge favor: complain, write letters, insist that mercury-containing substances not be used on feminine pads. The same goes for dental floss, band-aids, cotton balls and cotton swabs - they also typically contain mercury and thallium, as do many of the commercial babies' diapers! You go, girls!"

The article goes on to implicate the following brands: KOTEX (xylene, isopropyl alcohol, mercury, and thallium) and ALWAYS (mercury, thallium).

The following are listed as safe: AMERICAN FARE (K-Mart brand!), NATRACARE, and GARDS.

Mamma here has used Natracare and highly recommends them!

You know I don't use tampons and haven't now for about 16 years when I found out my husband's cousin died of toxic shock syndrome and left a baby motherless.

[This message has been edited by dessie (edited 27 February 2001).]

Please do not dismiss this information as a hoax--it is all too true. Years ago a groundbreaking work on the subject was published called "Whitewash", written by two women who had spent years putting together research and documentation about exactly what is used in the "feminine protection" industry. Incidentally, these chemicals are also used on disposable diapers, too.

As for "Dr." Stephen Barret, he and his quackwatchers aren't taken seriously by anyone. Barret was recently discredited for misrepresenting himself as a doctor at all--(apparently he is not one) and as far as I'm concerned, anything he and his cohort "The Amazing Randi" denounce is worthy of full attention, admiration, and acceptance.

Divina

I don't usually frequent this man's site. In fact this was the first time I was there. However I have seen numerous emails that are circulated with misinformation and I don't think it's a good idea to read an email and run with it because you don't know with whom or from where it has originated. It's no better than this Mr. Quackworth or whomever.

Here's another link on it:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/science/urbanlegends/libr ary/weekly/aa111898.htm?terms=tampons+and+asbestos+contaminat ion

I don't dispute the dioxin part but I do find the asbestos claim questionable.




[This message has been edited by dessie (edited 27 February 2001).]

Hello to all the women out there that care about themselves and others.
There is another way - in fact two that I know of, that claim and seem to be green and healthy for us women to use.
There is a product advertised in Earth Garden ( australian ) called The Keeper. it is a soft rubber menstrual cap that should last up to ten years.
It is easy to use and inexpensive. They offer a three month money back guarantee, their e-mail address is keepercup@hotmail.com and their web address is
www.morning.com.au/go/keeper
Personally I havent used the product yet, but have had high raves from people that have. Check it out.
The other product is also from Aust. and is called Rad Pads -- made from cotton cloth
E-mail is enquries@fertility.com.au
One more to add tot he list ( personally used for over 4 years now ), is called Cottons. These are Australia's 1st 100% cotton tampons.
I am unsure about bleaching and dioxin use in these though and after having the subject raised I will check it out.
Simone

http://www.keeper.com/

Just so ya know..that is the new link to The Keeper site .
Thanks for posting about it! And to think - last time home, I bought heaps of Tampons...ho hum..guess I can give them to the kids to 'blow up' in water. (We did that with an aunt's box of Tampons when we were little kids - and put dye in the water...we thought it was funny ...she did not ).
Lisa
PS I wouldn't believe much of what the govt. agencies say...FDA, EPA, etc...big bucks involved in a lot of things and lots of motive to keep people stupid

Everyone has to do what they have to do Lisa. The point I'm making is we need to be sure that what is posted here is accurate information or we as a whole will be doing as big an injustice as the people you all claim are quacks. I'm not antigovernment. They have their problems but not everyone in it is evil and not everyone in business is either. Many are productive hardworking people. We better serve ourselves and others by getting the facts, making sure they are TRUE facts and taking measures to correct them through proper channels and not by trying to belittle people for holding different opinions. I was in no way trying to belittle Linda and if you took it that way Linda I do apologize. I guess it's just me but there seems to be a cold wind blowing on these boards. I find myself less and less inclined to post here.