feminine products and cancer: what YOU need to know

hi girlies!!! welcome to our second blog post! before i begin, i want to apologize for the lack of activity across all socials. me and anila have been pretty busy with traveling and just preparing for the college app season. but don't worry! i haven't forgotten about you so now we'll be back on track with consistent posts!

so recently as i scrolled through my socials i realized that there's a new problem arising that left me shocked. researchers found that in feminine products like pads, tampons, etc.. there are TOXIC METALS and chemicals that are the source of extra days of leakage and cancer. CANCER.

obviously, this is a serious problem that us girls need to address and prevent further issues from continuing.

so, what are these claims that researchers are making with feminine products?

the facts

according to KCRA, a team of researchers lead by kathrin schilling, an assistant professor at columbia university, tested 30 different tampons from major companies for heavy metals. tests came back with an concerning amount of lead, being "ten times higher the amount than the maximum allowed in drinking water" according to schilling. it's known that these metals caused problems to reproductive health.

heavy metals damage the liver, kidney, and brain of your body, which in tuns leads to increase risk of cancer.

time magazine also shared that feminine products are found to be containing a harmful chemical labeled as PFAS. these are linked with MANY health ills from again, increased risk of certain cancers, to hormonal disruption, high cholesterol, and more..

i'm just naming problem after problem here. as i read through more sources, they all added up to the same thing -- risk of cancer, damage to body organs, and potential diseases. this is so concerning and it's very important that we know what steps to take to prevent us from being effected.

avoiding future risks!

the next time you're buying feminine products for the next flow of the month, watch out for these.

• if the tampon is not listed as organic cotton, it has been exposed to pesticides.

• if it's "scented", don't buy it. you don't need to be smelling like roses down there.

instead, opt for different products.

for my tampon girlies, invest in menstrual cups or disposable discs!

menstrual cups and discs are arguably less messier than tampons! plus, they only need to be replaced ONCE a year, so not only do you save money but you're reducing waste!

recommended brands:

1. diva cup

2. organicup

3. cora cup

4. saalt cup

5. flex disc

6. cora menstrual cup
   

for my pad girlies, invest in these safe pads or period underwears.

recommended brands:

1. luna pads

2. glad rags

3. thinx period underwear

4. knix period underwear

stop buying from walmart and buy these safer products! but, it doesn't end here. there are still steps you can take to stop the progression of these toxic feminine products.

what YOU can do to help

sign this petition that needs two thousand more signatures to stop harmful toxins in feminine products!

https://www.change.org/p/stop-all-harmful-toxins-in-feminine-products?original_footer_petition_id=11829175&algorithm=promoted&source_location=petition_footer&grid_position=13&pt=AVBldGl0aW9uAIhTCAIAAAAAYvBpHR3S5bs4M2FjOWNjMA%3D%3D

donate to this nonprofit that is redirecting money to women who have a lack of menstrual health products.

https://www.helpingwomenperiod.org/make-a-donation/

that's all i have for today! please be cautious when buying feminine products and do your research! also, please consider helping one of the two above.

check linktree for socials!! https://linktr.ee/herwellnessblog

sources:

Kluger, Jeffrey. 2023. “PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Turning up in Menstrual Products. Here’s What You Need to Know.” Time. February 9, 2023. https://time.com/6254060/pfas-period-chemicals-underwear-tampons/.

Koons, Joria. 2020. “Guide to Non-Toxic Period Products.” Liz Winters Wellness. May 8, 2020. https://lizwinterswellness.com/2020/05/guide-to-non-toxic-period-products/.

“PFAS: Some Period Products May Contain ‘Forever Chemicals.’” 2023. Www.medicalnewstoday.com. August 21, 2023. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pfas-forever-chemicals-period-products#What-are-the-health-risks-of-PFAS?.

“Tampons Contain Lead, Arsenic and Potentially Toxic Chemicals, Studies Say. Here’s What to Know.” 2024. KCRA. July 15, 2024. https://www.kcra.com/article/tampons-contain-lead-arsenic-and-potentially-toxic-chemicals-study/61572132.