Tampons have been around since the 1930s, and women have largely taken their safety for granted. But over the past three decades there has been a staggering increase in illnesses that were once thought of as rare, including enddmetriosis, fibroids (growths in the uterus), pelvic inflammatory disease, PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome), and cancer, causing some to take another look at those ubiquitous products. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was an outbreak of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium whose toxins are amplified by several synthetic fibers that were being used in tampons to increase absorbency. More than 50 women died and more than a thousand suffered. The worst offenders were Procter and Gamble's ultra-absorbent Rely tampons. According to the book Soap Opera: The Inside Story of Procter and Gamble, the company dismissed consumer complaints about the tampons for years. A 1975 company memo disclosed that Rely tampons contained known cancer-causing agents and that the product altered the natural organisms found in the vagina. Rely tampons were taken off the shelves in 1980, but many women claim they left a legacy of hysterectomies and loss of fertility.
展开▼
