If you use pads, but especially if you
             use tampons, read this and pass onto
             your friends (for the men receiving
             this email, please forward it to your
             friends, significant others, sisters,
             mothers,  daughters, etc.)

              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 tumours......
              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 wasn't illegal or considered
              dangerous. This month's Essence
              magazine has a small article about
              this and they mention two
              manufacturers of a cotton tampon
              alternative. The companies are Organic
              Essentials @ (800)765-6491 and Terra
              Femme @ (800)755-0212.

              A woman getting her Ph.D. at
              University of Colorado @ Boulder 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 woman, including
              much about feminine hygiene. Recently
              we have learned that tampons are
              actually dangerous (for other reasons
              than TSS). I'll tell you this, 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 products). 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 produced in this bleaching
                process can lead to very harmful
                problems for a woman. Dioxin is
                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, and it breaks down
                the immune system. Last September
                the Environmental Protection Agency
                (EPA) reported that there really is
                no set "acceptable" level of
                exposure to dioxin given that it is
                cumulative and slow to disintegrate.
                The real danger comes from repeated
                contact (Karen Houppert "Pulling the
                Plug on the Tampon Industry"). I'd
                say using about 4-5 tampons a day,
                five days a month, for 38
                menstruating 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
                fibres from the tampons are left
                behind in the vagina (as it 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 since they are not in direct
              contact with the vagina. The
              pads/napkins need to stop being
              bleached, but obviously tampons are
              the most dangerous. So, what can you
              do if you can't give up using tampons?
              Use tampons, that are made from 100%
              cotton, and that are UNBLEACHED.
              Unfortunately, there are very, very
              few companies that make these safe
              tampons. They are usually only found
              in health food stores. Countries all
              over the world (Sweden, German,
              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.
              Call the 800 numbers listed on the
              boxes. Let them know that we demand a
              safe product - ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED
              TAMPONS.