“Why is it so hard to find safe period products?” This is the question raised by the trial involving the American firm Thinx, summary The Guardian. The brand of period panties launched in 2013 “has prided itself for years on being a simple, organic and non-toxic alternative to traditional menstrual products, with playful advertisements in the subway and on social networks”, remind him Washington Post. It was finally forced at the end of 2022 to release 5 million dollars – around 4.6 million euros – to compensate consumers who request it. In question, the detection of harmful substances in some of its products.
The start of the site dedicated to claims for compensation, at the start of 2023, drew international media attention to the case. This began three years ago, in January 2020, “when journalist Jessian Choy, from the magazine [californien] Sierra, sent a copy of these underwear to physicist Graham Peaslee of the University of Notre Dame [dans l’Indiana] to check for harmful chemicals”. The latter found “high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, some types of which have been linked to cancers and reproductive problems”reports the American daily.
Products linked to “a litany of health problems”
PFAS are substances “so persistent in the body and environment that they have earned the nickname ‘eternal chemicals’”emphasizes the Washington Post. There are more than 9,000 products belonging to this category of substances, and, if they are not “instantly toxic like arsenic, lead or cadmium, they attach themselves to various proteins in our blood and are transported to all the organs of our body”specifies the American newspaper, quoting Graham Peaslee.
“PFAS have been correlated with a litany of health problems, including cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, hypertension, reduced immune response and reproductive problems.”
These substances are common in textiles, the newspaper says, especially “those labeled ‘waterproof’ or ‘stain resistant’”. However, it is advisable to avoid wearing products containing high levels of PFAS, warns Lokesh Padhye, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Auckland quoted by the media.
Dismay, fears and anger
A class action lawsuit launched last May therefore accuses the brand of having misled consumers by claiming that their products were organic and non-toxic. The complaint alleges that period panties also contain metal nanoparticles, which are used to deodorize clothes and can easily enter the body.
One million people are said to use – or have used – Thinx period panties worldwide, reports The Guardianet “consumers are wondering if they have been unknowingly exposed to toxic chemicals, and which menstrual product to turn to now”. This is the case, for example, of the American Tasha Gjesdahl, a 28-year-old resident of Wisconsin cited by the Guardianwho “spent hundreds of dollars on Thinx period panties” et “is a customer [de la marque] for more than five years”.
The young woman, to whom these menstrual protections gave “a sense of security”also confides:
“I only wore Thinx panties for three to four weeks following the birth of my child. It was a relief not to have to wear giant sanitary napkins that the hospital provides.”
The latter worries “of the impact that PFAS and metallic nanoparticles might have on his health”. Many users in the same case have expressed their anger and dismay on social networks. Especially since “menstrual products are expensive, vary a lot depending on the brand”, laments another woman quoted by The Guardian. “Even though I’ve had my period for over two decades, I’m still looking for a solution that works for me”.