The Agency supplemented its expert appraisal work with additional tests on menstrual cups and tampons in order to better characterize the composition of their materials and estimate the risks in relation to Staphylococcus aureus, the bacterium responsible for TSS.
These tests revealed the presence of chemical substances in tampons and menstrual cups, but without exceeding health thresholds. On the other hand, ANSES has not demonstrated any direct relationship between the physico-chemical properties of the materials of these intimate protections and a risk of increased SCT.
The Agency nevertheless recommends that manufacturers improve the quality of these products in order to eliminate or reduce the presence of chemical substances as much as possible.
With regard to SCT, ANSES recalls that the risk of developing this syndrome caused by a bacterial toxin is linked to the conditions of use of all forms of internal periodic protection. Thus, it recommends that clearer information on the risk of menstrual toxic shock syndrome and its symptoms be given to health professionals and women. With regard to packaging and leaflets, this request for improvement concerns in particular the manufacturers of menstrual cups, which have more recently arrived on the market.
Also, ANSES reminds users of the importance of respecting the hygiene rules related to the use of protection, in particular the wearing time for both tampons and menstrual cups. It is also recommended to use a tampon or a menstrual cup only during menstruation and to choose a protection adapted to its flow.
