2024-03-14 15:41:00
Tampons, towels, panty liners, menstrual cups and panties… It’s a small revolution in the sphere of intimate hygiene products. From the April 1, 2024manufacturers and distributors must indicate the composition of the product on the packaging, with the “details of substances and materials intentionally incorporated during the manufacturing process”according to the decree of December 30, 2023.
THE “sanitary risks” associated with the use, in particular “irritation, intolerance, allergy, microtrauma”, must also appear there, as well as the precautions for use.
This obligation even applies to products sold remotely or distributed free of charge individually or in bulk. If there is not enough space on the packaging, the information must be written on the instructions.
Products already placed on the market, which therefore do not meet the provisions of this decree, may continue to be sold or distributed until December 31, 2024.
Why is it important?
To date, data on the composition of hygienic products remains opaque.
“The manufacturing materials of intimate protection are poorly documented and the hearings of the representatives of the manufacturers of these products did not make it possible to characterize them precisely”indicated the National Health Security Agency (ANSES) in a report published in 2018 and updated in 2019.
“The same lack of information was noted for the description of manufacturing aids such as glues for example, or substances added intentionally (perfumes, inks, etc.).”
In other words, despite this report, we still don’t really know what is used in periodic protection.
What are the risks?
Concern over their composition dates back to 2012, when model Lauren Wasser had both legs amputated following contracting toxic shock syndrome. His story had gone around the world.
In 2015, a petition on Change.org collected nearly 307,000 signatures and, the following year, the magazine 60 million consumers alerted to the presence of residues of toxic substances in periodic protection, leading the government to request a expertise at Anses.
This report, which is still current, concludes that the main risk linked to the use of tampons and menstrual cups is the toxic shock syndrome. The longer we wear the protection, the more we increase the risks..
ANSES also notes manifestations of irritation, intolerance, allergies and microtrauma linked to the use of protection.
Concerning their composition, the organization discovered residues of chlorinated agents and certain pesticides whose use is prohibited in the European Union, as well as the presence of endocrine disruptors suspected, even if “no excess of health thresholds has been demonstrated, via the skin, for these chemical substances.”
What is toxic shock syndrome?
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare infectious disease.
“Approximately 1% of women carry a bacterium from the Staphylococcus aureus family in their vagina which generally does not cause them any problems but which can, under certain conditions, cause the famous TSS during their periods”indicates the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm).
When you wear a tampon or menstrual cup, the blood stagnates in the vagina and promotes the proliferation of this bacteria, which secretes a toxin that attacks different organs via the bloodstream.
THE symptoms may resemble those of the flu or gastro: sudden fever above 39°C, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, sore throat, rash resembling sunburn and dizziness and/or fainting.
In the cases “the most extreme”, SCT can cause “organ failure, coma or even death.”
What are the precautions for use?
The decree of December 30, 2023 specifies the precautions for use to be included on the packaging of hygienic products.
Hands should be washed before using, inserting or removing a product. Reusable products must be washed or disinfected.
The recommended maximum wear time should only not exceed six hours. Therefore, external protections are recommended for use at night in order to reduce the risk of developing toxic shock syndrome.
If symptoms appear, the product should be removed and, if possible, kept for analysis and information to the doctor.
People who have developed TSS should no longer use protection for internal use, i.e. a tampon or menstrual cup.
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