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Amy Diehl, Ph.D.

Recent study of 30 different tampons found all contained the 16 metal(oids) they were tested for. 100M women worldwide use tampons but we are only just now studying their potential toxicity. Why? Public health has been biased to ignore women's health.
brookings.edu/articles/toxic-t

Brookings · Toxic tampons and gender bias in health researchA recent pilot study on tampons brings to light how women's health is an under-researched field in need of restructuring.

@amydiehl

Points well said and taken, but in the typography

> 100M women worldwide

This is a guesstimate of only inside the United States? This is counting girls and women aged 12..50yo? From ~330M people in the USA we have ~170M women & girls of whom ~100M are aged 12..50yo? 70% adoption would be 70M people

More like 2000M women & girls worldwide? 40% adoption would be 800M people

@amydiehl and they tried to blame toxic shock syndrome on us not changing out often enough.

@TheJen @kimlockhartga @amydiehl

Same product, different scandal. (Another scandal - micro plastic - has also been mentioned in the thread.)

@amydiehl exactly. Somehow all these drugs like viagra for men…

@amydiehl women's health is the black sheep of the entire medical establishment. From heart disease and stroke to anxiety and depression to obviously sanitary products. Disgusting ignorance here.

@amydiehl what is even crazier (if this is the same study I read a few months ago) even organic feminine products have heavy metals like lead, etc.,.

@amydiehl Which also raises the question of how many of us have developed cancer, had hysterectomies, and/or died because periods are icky and men don't want to think about them, so getting research funding is difficult.

@amydiehl Does anyone know with confidence what tampon options exist that are not contaminated with toxic metals? My partner hasn't easily been able to find info on this.
FDA study is good progress but knowingly being subjected to this for a year or more while it takes place is brutal.

@amydiehl Huh, and I thought I was using a cup and reusable pads purely for comfort and no waste 😬

@amydiehl answering my own question with the "nuance" I could find:

"All of the metals we assessed were present in quantifiable concentrations in tampons (Table 2). For 12 out of the 16 metals, we found concentrations greater than the MDL in 100 % of tampon samples. For Hg, Cr, As, and Se, we found concentrations above the MDL in 8.3 %, 10 %, 95 %, and 98.3 % of tampon samples"

@amydiehl The neglect for safety in common items is not strictly by gender. They still sell peanut butter that is mostly palm oil and sugar. Just sayin'
It should spark national outrage!