This is something everyone needs to read.

[tropicality]

I came across this in my research, it is mainly for the ladies, it seemed more more serious than I have now learned it actually is (see the reply below and the link contained within):

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edit: It seems that was some falseness to the message I quoted (as quoted below) but there is still a danger, that seems it cannot be totally removed, (tampons that are bleached contain harmful chemicals, not from one use, but several times a day for many years it can, the other problem is that if only cotton tampons are used -- there are many many pesticides put into cotton that also make this an imperfect option.. But I would still recommend women read from the following link... if only to skim through it.

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Asbestos in Tampons

(thanks Frans)

[Frans]

Originally Posted by tropicality

I came across this in my research, it concerns both men (indirectly) and women (directly):

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Check the labels of the sanitary pads or tampons that you are going to buy
the next time and see whether you spot any of the familiar signs stated in
this email. No wonder so many women in the world suffer from cervical
cancer and womb tumors.

Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in tampons?

Why would they do this?

Because asbestos makes you bleed more, if you bleed more, you're going to
need to use more.

Why isn't this against the law since asbestos is so dangerous?

Because the powers that be, in all their wisdom (not), did not consider
tampons as being ingested and, therefore, did not consider them illegal or
dangerous.

A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of Colorado sent the following:

"I am writing this because women are not being

informed about the dangers of something most of us use: Tampons.

I am taking a class this month and I have been learning a lot about

biology and women, including feminine hygiene. Recently we have learned
that tampons are actually dangerous (for other reasons than TSS). After
learning about this in our class, most of the females wound up feeling angry
and upset with the tampon industry, and

I for one, am going to do something about it. To start, I want to inform
everyone I can, and email is the fastest way that I know how.

HERE IS THE SCOOP:

Tampons contain two things that are potentially harmful:

Rayon (for absorbency), and dioxin (a chemical used

in bleaching). The tampon industry is convinced that we, as women,

need bleached white products in order to view the product as pure and clean.

The problem here is that the dioxin, can lead to very harmful problems for
a woman.

Dioxin is potentially carcinogenic (cancer-associated) and is toxic to the
immune and reproductive systems. It has also been linked to endometriosis
and lower sperm counts for

men. For both sexes, it breaks down the immune system. Last September, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that there really is no
"acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is cumulative and
slow to disintegrate. The real danger comes from repeated contact (Karen
Couppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry").

I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month, for 38 years is
"repeated contact", wouldn't you? Rayon contributes to the danger of
tampons and dioxin because it is a highly absorbent substance. Therefore,
when fibres from the tampons are left behind in the vagina (as usually
occurs), it creates a breeding ground for the dioxin. It also stays in a lot
longer than it would with just cotton tampons. This is also the reason why
TSS (toxic shock syndrome) occurs.



WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

Using feminine hygiene products that aren't bleached

and that are all cotton. Other feminine hygiene products pads/napkins
contain dioxin

as well, but they are not nearly as dangerous. So, what can you do if you
can't give up using tampons? Use tampons that are made from 100% UNBLEACHED
cotton. Unfortunately, there are very few companies that make these safe
tampons.



They are usually only found in health food stores. Countries all over the
world (Sweden, Germany, British Columbia, etc. have demanded a switch to
this safer tampon, while the US has decided to keep us in the dark about it.



In 1989, activists in England mounted a campaign against chlorine
bleaching.

Six weeks and 50,000 letters later, the makers of sanitary products switched
to oxygen bleaching (one of the green methods available) (MS magazine,
May/June 1995).



WHAT TO DO NOW:

Tell people.

Everyone.

Inform them.

We are being manipulated by this industry and the government, let's do
something about it!



Please write to the companies:

Tampax (Tambrands); Playtex; O.B.; Kotex.

All the 1-800 numbers are listed on the boxes.

Let them know that we demand a safe product:

ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.



REMINDER:



In order not to lose the impact of this email, I suggest that anyone who
wants to forward it to their friends, PLEASE copy this mail and paste it to
a NEW message.



That way it will not distort the whole message with all the forward
arrows.

Please do this with consideration and seriousness.



Major Corporate Nursing Services

Royal Perth Hospital.

Perth Western Australia



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Asbestos in tampons?... This is just an urban legend.

Read more here: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Asbestos in Tampons

[tropicality]

It would have been nice if you included a bit of what the link actually shows, instead of trying to act all high and mighty that you have the truth.

There are still some health risks verified that are not made totally aware of to the public. So I still advise any women to read the information contained in that link.