An average woman uses around 15,000 menstrual products during her life. The onus is on scientists, regulators and public-health agencies to fill the gaps in knowledge about these products
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskMoreover, the skin of the vulva, the vagina’s external protection—which comes into direct contact with pads and pantyliners—is one of the body surface’s most sensitive parts. It is more permeable than the rest of the epidermis, and becomes still more absorbent when irritated.
In some parts of the world, though, women’s experience suggests all is not entirely well. In the same month that the South Korean government published its report, a campaign group called the Korean Women’s Environmental Network released testimony from over 3,000 women who had experienced symptoms including shorter periods, worsened cramps and considerably less bleeding while using certain pads.
In America, too, according to the country’s Food and Drug Administration, hundreds of women have complained about menstrual products over the past decade. With pads and pantyliners, they have reported rashes, cellulitis and chemical burns. Aside from toxic-shock syndrome, which is still happening, adverse effects from tampons have included infections caused by disintegrating tampons, sepsis, worsened cramps and heavier periods.
Hormonal effects might be caused by so-called endocrine disrupters. These mimic oestrogen, a hormone essential to a host of functions including regulating the menstrual cycle. They also pose a theoretical risk to developing embryos. Though periods end when pregnancy starts, some women still wear light pads and liners for bleeding and other discharge when pregnant.
Discovering the truth here is hard—not least because the relevant tests are difficult to perform. Toxicity tests, which can be carried out only on animals, generally look for extreme responses, such as cancers or death. Checking for symptoms like itchiness, disrupted cycles or worsened cramps would require specific human tests.
One possible reason for problems may be that small, rogue manufacturers are producing substandard goods. Some complaints coming from America concern products from less-well-known companies, which could skip independent testing and exploit gaps in regulations.
Belgique Dernières Nouvelles, Belgique Actualités
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