Study shows the need for female voices in health care
Disheartening results from a tampon study done by the University of California Berkley were released in July and quickly went viral online. The study found traces of lead and arsenic in tampons, which could pose a health threat when exposed long-term.
The tampon study tested many feminine hygiene brands and found that the average amount of lead in one tampon is 25% of the lead in a single cigarette. Scientists found measurable amounts of 16 toxic metals, and organic tampons had less lead but had more arsenic.
It is not currently known whether the metals found in feminine hygiene products are actually hurting women – but it begs the question of WHY do we not know? Why have we never tested tampons before and what other areas of women’s health are being overlooked?
Many women are concerned as vaginal tissue is the most absorbent part of the human body, according to the National Library of Medicine, and, as the study notes, “there is no safe exposure level” to lead.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require companies to test tampons for chemical contaminants – they only recommend that they be free of pesticides or dioxin.
The FDA did tell NPR in July that they would be looking into the implications of this study.
Other metals found in tampons – including copper, calcium, iron and zinc – are usually considered safe, but no study has been done to see how they affect the endocrine system long term. Again – why, in 2024, has no one ever thought to study this or develop feminine hygiene guidelines regarding metals?
This study shows that health science really needs to take a closer look at women’s health. There are tons of examples of medical recommendations and studies only looking at men.
For example, The Body Mass Index (BMI) scale is based on male physiology, according to Yale Medicine. It is also much harder for a woman to be diagnosed with a slew of disorders, including autism, ADHD, heart disease and even some cancers due to several factors – such as medical students being taught with the male body in mind.
The New York Times published an article in February titled “A Brief History of Sexism in Medicine.” The article states women are “less likely to be offered pain medication; their symptoms are more likely to be written off as anxiety — or . . . as being all in their head.”
It’s a tale as old as medicine. Until 1980, the DSM allowed for women to be diagnosed with “hysteria.” It was a diagnosis often given when the doctor believed the woman’s symptoms to be illegitimate. “Hysteria,” of course, comes from the Greek word “hystera” which means “uterus.”
And when you consider how even less research has been done on people of color, the picture begins to look very scary.
Women have also begun speaking out on social media, such as TikTok, expressing their frustrations with doctors. Some complain about how, even in 2024, there are young women who cannot get a hysterectomy without their husbands’ consent (as private practices can legally refuse the procedure) and many are refused anesthesia when getting IUDs and other painful procedures.
Women must be better represented and heard in the health sciences. Women should not have to advocate for themselves in this way. It is no secret that women’s bodies are distinct from men, and we deserve the right to health care and research that reflects those differences. Women’s health, especially around menstruation and childbirth, deserves serious attention. It affects 50% of the population.
Ideally, regulators will begin mandating stronger rules about metals in tampons, at least until definitive studies show they are safe.
If you are worried, there are many lists online with steps you can take to mitigate your risk of being exposed to these metals. I will summarize a few tips that seem to be in common on all the lists:
Seek out products that don’t contain plastic – including polyester and polypropylene – and avoid feminine hygiene products with fragrances or colorants.
There are also other period products you can try, such as period panties, pads, menstrual discs and menstrual cups (although you should note that menstrual cups carry the highest risk of toxic shock syndrome according to the National Library of Medicine).
If you continue to use tampons, be diligent about changing them regularly.
But, the biggest thing to do is to use your voice – let your lawmakers know that you want better protocols and more research surrounding women’s health. This is a serious issue that directly affects women’s quality of life.
Let this study be a wake-up call.
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