In the summer of 2024, a disturbing new study came to light about tampons. Millions of women flocked to TikTok and Google to discuss the frightening research and find alternatives to this essential staple. But was the panic necessary?
What Did the Tampon Study Find?
The study published by UC Berkeley on June 22, 2024, found that several popular brands of tampons contained dangerous chemicals. Additives like lead, cadmium, and arsenic…terrifying. For most women, this study was ground-shaking. I received many messages from friends about this, and a few of my friends even stopped using tampons altogether after reading the study.
About 50-80% of women use tampons, so you can imagine this information was a big deal for a few days. Par for the course for our news cycle! Also, the lead author of the study stated that very few studies on tampon safety have been conducted. Sadly, this isn’t that shocking considering the state of women’s reproductive health today.
In the study, researchers analyzed 30 tampons from 14 brands for 16 different kinds of chemicals:
Arsenic, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, iron, copper, manganese, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc.
The research found that the metal in the tampons varied by area, organic VS. non-organic, and name brand vs generic. Unfortunately, the metals were present in all types of women’s products tested. The presence of lead was higher in non-organic tampons but non-organic had higher levels of arsenic.
How Do Tampons Become Contaminated?
Presently, these studies are in their infancy and it’s unclear how the tampons came to have metals in them. It is believed it could be an airborne contamination (the cotton absorbs metals from the air during manufacturing or shipping). Another scary possibility is that the metals are added during the making of tampons as a part of a pigment, whitener, or anti-bacterial agent.
Should You Stop Using Tampons?
Fortunately, there have been some informative videos on TikTok about this topic. In this video, the creator says that a scientist named Dr. Andrea Love did a breakdown of the study. She says that the amount of lead and arsenic found in women’s period products is actually less than our drinking water or some foods contains. Yeah, not sure if that’s comforting info or just another example of how everything we use or consume is going to kill us slowly…
Also, the study actually used nitric acid, which is 2000 times more acidic than the environment of a vagina. The scientist went on to say that the conditions of a vagina may not allow for the toxic chemicals to be released.
in short, future studies need to be conducted to see if these metals release from the tampon into the vagina and then into the bloodstream. So you don’t need to throw your tampons out… yet. However, this is a comfort thing, if you cannot get past the study, then ditch them!
And if this kind of thing makes you wonder what else might be slipping under the radar, you’re not wrong to be cautious. From tampons to toothpaste, microplastics are another growing concern in everyday items. Want to learn more about how tiny particles can pose big risks? Check out our article The Health Risks of Microplastics: Tiny Particles, Real Dangers—it covers where they’re found, how they affect your body, and steps you can take to limit your exposure.
Tampons: Friend or Foe?
As a woman with a very heavy flow due to fibroids and cysts, I cannot ditch tampons at this point in the game. If this study was airtight, and using the right conditions—I would. But for now, I have cut back on my use of tampons and supplemented them with period panties. Again, this is all about your comfort level. If you feel you can’t risk it, that’s understandable!
One thing we can take away from this study is that there needs to be more of a focus on women’s reproductive health in medical studies. The fact that this study was only conducted in 2024 is shameful.
Be aware, and stay safe!
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