A Guide to Menstrual Products: What You Put in Your Vagina Matters
Mothering Magazine
by Sheramy Tsai
March 15, 2018
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According to the NY Times, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates menstrual hygiene products as medical devices, a category that also includes dental floss and condoms. While the FDA recommends that manufacturers provide general information on the label about the material composition of the product, they do not require individual ingredients to be revealed. In other words, the “recipe” for a tampon or pad is considered proprietary.
Women’s Voices For the Earth, a nonprofit organization aimed at eliminating toxic chemical exposure says that many of today’s feminine products contain a number of harsh chemicals that may cause cancer, disrupt hormones, or cause unnecessary allergic reactions. While the toxins in tampons and pads may be small, continued exposure to the ingredients found in these products could have detrimental long-term health effects.
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