Your tampon may cause cancer – states are stepping in with laws mandating disclosure of ingredients
Manufacturers of menstrual products could be forced to warn that they cause cancer on packaging, under plans being drawn up in several US states.
Studies are increasingly showing that tampons, pads and menstrual underwear contain toxic “forever chemicals” or PFAS – chemicals that are either an intentional or unintentional part of the manufacturing process and have been linked to fertility problems, thyroid dysfunction, cancer and a host of other serious health problems.
Unlike other consumer products, the Food and Drug Administration does not require menstrual product manufacturers to list the ingredients used in their production because they are classified as “medical devices,” similar to condoms and dental floss.
But New York in 2021 became the first state to require manufacturers to publicly display on packaging a list of ingredients intentionally used in the making of their products, and a similar law in California took effect this year.
A growing number of states are following suit, and the New York State legislature is taking an extra step by pushing for a law strengthen research to the potentially serious health effects of including various chemicals in menstrual products
Exactly how the toxic chemicals got into the underwear is not known, but it is thought that it is the liquid-repellent outer layer that most likely contains PFAS. The forever chemicals can enter the bloodstream through pores in the skin. Once in the blood, they can travel anywhere in the body and remain for many years. PFAS are associated with numerous health risks, including reduced fertility and a higher risk of miscarriage and kidney cancer
Millions of Americans may be unknowingly exposing themselves to chemicals that increase their risk of cancer, reproductive problems and hormonal imbalances due to dangerous ingredients. But a growing number of states are pushing for laws to force companies to disclose all chemicals intentionally used in manufacturing
About 57 million Americans each year rely on menstrual products such as tampons, pads, and silicone cups, potentially exposing them to chemicals that increase their risk of developing certain cancers or dramatically unbalance their hormones.
Perhaps the most sinister chemicals found in period underwear, pads, and tampons are PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” because they are nearly indestructible.
PFAS are associated with a host of health problems, including infertility, high blood pressure in pregnant women, low birth weight and developmental delays in children, hormone disruption, high cholesterol and a messy immune system.
Menstrual product manufacturers, including Thinx, who have reached a massive court settlement over the issue of PFAS in their products, have said the harmful chemicals are often not added intentionally, but rather accidentally introduced elsewhere in the supply chain.
Another chemical used as a bleaching agent in menstrual products such as pads and tampons, called dioxin, is also considered a carcinogen, and while manufacturers don’t use much of it, even small amounts can be very dangerous.
However, whether anyone has been diagnosed with cancer as a result of using these products remains unclear. A causal relationship can be difficult to establish as there are many factors that contribute to a cancer diagnosis.
In the absence of adequate federal oversight of the ingredients used in tampons, pads, and silicone menstrual cups, a growing number of states are intervening with police manufacturers using ingredients that contain chemicals that can cause cancer, disrupt hormones, and trigger allergic reactions.
New York and California laws require companies to warn consumers about the presence of chemicals in menstrual products, but only those that are “intentionally added,” leaving room for potential accidental contamination on the production line.
The two laws of California and New York were just the beginning. In California, state lawmakers are trying to pass a law that would prohibit manufacturers of menstrual products from using PFAS chemicals and require them to use the least toxic alternative when removing regulated PFAS in menstrual products.
And in New York, two legislative efforts are underway that would broaden research into the various health effects of using different chemicals in tampons and other menstrual products and monitor their use.
In addition to the laws recently passed in New York and California, there have been several other state-led efforts to control the use of certain ingredients, such as fragrances, that can have negative health consequences.
Massachusetts, West Virginia and New Jersey all hope to pass laws to disclose the ingredients used in products, while the Vermont legislature is striving to ban any use of chemicals like PFAS in the manufacture of historic products.
The federal Food and Drug Administration oversees the manufacture of tampons, which it refers to as “medical devices.” However, pads and menstrual cups are not subject to the same regulatory guidelines and are not subject to the same premarket review process.
Fragrance additives in some of the country’s top brands of tampons like tampax have largely been phased out in the US. chemicals that give tampons a “fresh” scent can throw the pH balance of the vagina off balance, rid the body of the good vaginal bacteria that fight infection and give the bad bacteria a chance to thrive.
Fragrances can also contain phthalates, known endocrine-disrupting chemicals that disrupt the body’s delicate balance of hormones, affecting a person’s reproductive and neurological health.
Tampon manufacturers are required by the FDA to submit safety evaluations, which include a detailed description of the product’s composition and absorbency, potential risks, and safety test results.
But the temp agency terminates mandate manufacturers to inform customers about chemicals in the products they purchase. The FDA also does not approve individual materials used in the manufacture of medical devices.
Laura Strausfeld, an attorney and co-founder of Period Law, an organization aimed at promoting period equity policies, told CBS News, “There is an understanding that the FDA regulates these products, and they are; it’s just not very adequate.
“Consumers are supposed to trust that when these products hit the shelves, they have been vetted by the government. But it’s actually a stamp.’
Federal lawmakers have tried to strengthen the FDA’s ability to monitor period products, but with little success. Most recently, the Menstrual Products Right to Know bill, introduced in 2022 in the House of Representatives, has stalled in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, where it remains stagnant.