Women - Please Read

[dherbs]

Please pass this information on to women, wives, sisters, daughters,
mothers, aunts, friends co-workers etc


Subject: FW: by lack of knowledge, we perish

If you are a woman and use pads, but especially if you use tampons,
read this and pass it on to your friends. For the men receiving this email,
please forward it to your friends, significant others, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc.
Thanks!

Check the labels of the sanitary pads or tampons that you are going to
buy the next time and see whether you spot any of the familiar signs stated
in this email.  No wonder so many women in the world suffer from cervical cancer and
womb tumors. Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in tampons?

Why would they do this? 

Because asbestos makes you bleed more, if you bleed more, you're going
to need to use more. Why isn't this against the law since asbestos is so
dangerous?  Because the powers that be, in all their wisdom (not), did not
consider tampons as being ingested and therefore, did not consider them illegal
or dangerous.

This month's Essence magazine mentions 2 manufacturers of cotton tampon alternative.
The companies are: Organic Essentials @ 1-800-765-6491 and Terra Femme @
1-800-755-0212 .

A woman getting her Ph.D. at the University of Colorado sent the following:

I am writing this because women are not being informed about the
dangers of something most of us use: Tampons. I am taking a class this month and I
have been learning a lot about biology and women, including feminine hygiene. 

Recently we have learned that tampons are actually dangerous (for other reasons

than TSS). After learning about this in our class, most of the females wound up

feeling angry and upset with the tampon industry, and I for one, am going to do

something about it. To start, I want to inform everyone I can, and email is the

fastest way that I know how.

HERE IS THE SCOOP:

Tampons contain two things that are potentially harmful:
Rayon (for absorbency), and dioxin (a chemical used in bleaching).

The tampon industry is convinced that we, as women, need bleached
white products in order to view the product as pure and clean. The problem
here is that the dioxin, can lead to very harmful problems for a woman. Dioxin
is a potentially carcinogenic (cancer-associated) and is toxic to the immune
and reproductive systems. It has also been linked to endometriosis and
lower sperm counts for men.  For both sexes, it breaks down the immune system.

Last September, the Environmental Protection Agency EPA) reported that there

really is no "acceptable" level of exposure to dioxin given that it is cumulative and
slow to disintegrate.

The real danger comes from repeated contact (Karen Couppert "Pulling
the Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day,
five days a month, for 38 years is "repeated contact", wouldn't you? Rayon
contributes to the danger of tampons and dioxin because it is a highly
absorbent substance.

Therefore, when fibers from the tampons are left behind in the vagina
(as usually occurs), it creates a breeding ground for the dioxin. It also
stays in a lot longer than it would with just cotton tampons. This is also
the reason why TSS (toxic shock syndrome) occurs.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

Using feminine hygiene products that aren't bleached and that are all
cotton.  Other feminine hygiene products (pads/napkins) contain dioxin as well,
but they are not nearly as dangerous.

So, what can you do if you can't give up using tampons? Use tampons
that are made from 100% UNBLEACHED cotton. Unfortunately, there are very few
companies that make these safe tampons. They are usually only found in
health food stores. Countries all over the world ( Sweden , Germany ,
British Columbia , etc.) have demanded a switch to this safer tampon, while the
U.S. has decided to keep us in the dark about it. In 1989, activists in
England mounted a campaign against chlorine bleaching. Six weeks and 50,000
letters later, the makers of sanitary products switched to oxygen bleaching
(one of the green methods available) (MS magazine, May/June 1995).

WHAT TO DO NOW?

Tell people, everyone. Inform them. We are being manipulated by this

industry and the government, let's do something about it! Please write
to the companies:

Tampax (Tambrands); Playtex; O.B Kotex. All the 1800 numbers are listed
on the boxes. Let them know that we demand a safe product: ALL COTTON
UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.

REMINDER: In order not to lose the impact of this email, I suggest
that anyone who wants to forward it to their friends, PLEASE copy this mail
and paste it to a NEW message. That way it will not distort the whole
message with all the forward arrows.

Please do this with consideration.

[Shawntell]

Peace,

Thank you for posting this valuable information.

Seventh Generation and NatraCare are both companies that produces chemical free pads.  These products may be purchased at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and other natural health stores.  They also may be purchased through amazon.com.

[WishForTheSilence]

Thank you! I never liked using tampons, because it felt foreign to me and they were painful the first time I tried them, partly because I didn't do it properly and I was pretty young. I thought I was safe with regular pads, but low and behold! I went out yesterday and picked up the NatraCare Brand.

I had read in a book that some women actually use sea sponges in place of tampons. I don't think that most of today's manufactured sea sponges would be appropriate though because of what they might go through before hitting the shelves. I'm not sure if these sponges are sprayed with anything toxic. I do remember as the book had said, that you could reuse the same sponge after washing it out, maybe letting it dry? Then you'd have to get a few to change them out when the rest are still damp. I'm still not keen on the idea of having something sit inside my body, but I thought I would share.

[With Purpose]

Another option may be the cups like MoonCup or DivaCup.

[ThatGirl]

Peace,

Thank you for posting this valuable information.

Seventh Generation and NatraCare are both companies that produces chemical free pads.  These products may be purchased at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and other natural health stores.  They also may be purchased through amazon.com.

Thanks for sharing this info. I'm not into tampons, so I appreciate reading about alternative brands that manufacture pads.

[Goddyssey]

Another option may be the cups like MoonCup or DivaCup.

I've heard about this, but was never sure exactly how it works. It seems like it would be messy. Have you had success with this method?

[With Purpose]

Another option may be the cups like MoonCup or DivaCup.

I've heard about this, but was never sure exactly how it works. It seems like it would be messy. Have you had success with this method?

Yep I use the DivaCup because its made from silicone. I think the mooncup comes in a silicone and the keeper (the original) is the latex version of the mooncup. I've had success with it. It was a little frustrating the first couple of days that I used it. By the end of that 1st cycle I was a lot more comfortable and love it now. It saves money for sure. It can be a little messy, but you just have to go prepared and you have to be comfortable with your body.

[Keyla]

have you found that u have to limit your movement with it in?  it won't bend and spill inside will it???

[With Purpose]

have you found that u have to limit your movement with it in?  it won't bend and spill inside will it???

Not at all. You can't even feel it if it's inserted correctly. It is designed with a few of tiny suction holes at the rim. I think that's what keeps it in place with and prevents leaks.

[b:l:i:s:s]

Will Do!!

[nay-nay]

you are not supposed to use tampons period. use maxi pads.

[Djehuty]

you are not supposed to use tampons period. use maxi pads.

Teach NAY NAY!!!!!

[LoveWithin]

Wow...I have been trying to find out where I can get this product for the longest. I'm learning so much here. Thank you