Personal Health and the tampon

Aug 18 20:31 UTC 1993

I've been hearing lately about the possible role of tampons in the
increasing rates of endomentriosis, and thus inability to conceive
in the current generation.  I knew that they made me cramp something
awful...but does anyone have any information on other health effects
of these infernal contraptions?

response 2 of 114:

Aug 19 12:55 UTC 1993

Toxic Shock Syndrome was linked to the ultra super tampons, Rely in
specific (I was very upset when they took it off the market, it was the
only one I had found that would let me go more than 1-1.5 hours away from
a bathroom during my heavy flow days).  None of the tampons out today are
as absorbant as the Rely super was.  This was the problem.  Rely imbedded
little pieces of sponge in the cotton.  This super absorbancy caused super
dryness which allowed whatever buggie that cased Toxic Shock to flurrish, and
because it was so absorbant a lot of woman didn't change it often enough
which compounded the problem.

I hadn't heard of the endometriosus link, are there references I can look
up?

response 4 of 114:

Aug 20 00:23 UTC 1993

They are saying now that you can wear a Tampon up to 8 hours, while you're
sleeping...I don't think it's safe though...

response 6 of 114:

Aug 20 23:13 UTC 1993

I've heard from both professional and non-professionaly sources that tampons
actually increase flow, as well as increase this risk of Toxic Shock.
But, I can't experiment.  Any comments/?

response 8 of 114:

Aug 22 02:21 UTC 1993

After the outbreak of TSS the Food and Drug Administration required 
manufacturers to lower tampon absorbency.  There is even an FDA
regulated definition for how many grams regular, super-absorbency, etc.
can absorb.

\I recently researched tampons in connection with dioxin.  I have
found the since the TSS outbreak of 1980 there really hasn't been
any research done regarding women and tampons.  (If I missed a study
please let me know about it, I haven't given up on the article.)

The theory I am aware of regarding tampons asserta that the tampon
can block the free flow of fluid from the uterus.   When the uterus
contracts the fluid backs up and goes into the fallopian tubes
where it can leave behind bits of endometrial tissue.  The bits of
tissue remain and respond to the chemical changes in a women's 
body as if they were in the uterus.  When the bodies signals
for the tissue to secrete the fluid and detach itself, the tissue
in the fallopian tubes responds causing pain and other symptoms
(endometriosis) to the women, as fallopian tubes weren't designed
with that in mine.

Severe cases cause scarring of the tubes as the body build scar tissue
over the tissue.  This lessens the pain since the tissue doesn't
receive and can't respond to chemical messages and interferes with
conception.

The `learned' men of our society believe that endometriosis is caused
by not having children early in life, and there does seem to be a link.
But the same generation has worn tampons most of their life.  Although
this affects 50 - 70% of U.S. women (_Ms. Magazine 11/12 1992) tampons
have never been seriously studied.

Please excuse the length and the typos.
Next!

response 10 of 114:

Sep 1 02:19 UTC 1993

I just learned recently that there have been some medical studies
done on women, tampons, and endometriosis which supports the theory
I listed above a _a_ possible cause of endometriosis.  I also learned
that there is a type of endometriosis called renegade endometriosis
which is more rare.

Renegade endometriosis is when the endometrial tissue leaves the
fallopian tubes and enters the blood stream floating around until
it attaches itself someplace in the body separate from the repro-
ductive tissue.  It is possible for it to attached itself just 
about anywhere, though probabilities vary.  Again, this is a rare
type of endometriosis.

response 12 of 114:

Sep 28 07:58 UTC 1993

Is that worded correctly?  They have all contracted TSS?

response 14 of 114:

Sep 28 13:07 UTC 1993

Sometimes those things have to be figured in by the reader, as I
don't know how to edit my responses.

response 16 of 114:

Sep 29 15:08 UTC 1993

I interpreted it to mean "Men, remember: both women and babies
can get it."

response 18 of 114:

Oct 1 01:40 UTC 1993

Actually, it's worded correctly to be an address to "men."

The actual problem is that it seems to say that all babies and women
have contracted TSS.

If it was including men, it would have said, "Remember:  men, babies...".

The word "all" is confusing to the reader.

response 20 of 114:

Oct 1 15:45 UTC 1993

The "important information" insert on my box of tampons says
"TSS also occurs, however, among men, children, and non-menstruating
women."  And FWIW, after going-on-twenty years of using them, I had
laparoscopic evidence that I did _not_ have endometriosis -- that was
about 10 years ago.

response 22 of 114:

Oct 3 05:48 UTC 1993

Yes, but does the darn thing have wings?

response 24 of 114:

Oct 5 02:11 UTC 1993

I've seen ads for the re-usable cotton pads in about 4 different magazines.
The PFC also carries them at the Packard store.  As to wings -- since you
fold them to fit, if you want wings, you get wings.