I was never a really big fan of wearing tampons...and actually I didn't even start wearing them till I was 20, when my friends and I had a big beach trip planned and I got my period. Why did I avoid wearing tampons? In my mind, they were always so unnatural...the idea of sticking bleached cotton up into my body freaked me out. The idea keeping something that is naturally trying to get out of my body from getting out was creepy. I was scared of getting toxic shock syndrome or just damaging something up there in general. A lot of women get grossed out by the idea of having to wear pads all day, with a lot commenting that they feel like digesting diapers. Ok, it's true, they definitely don't feel amazing. But I dunno, I just always sucked it up for that one week a month because of my fear of tampons. Only occasionally does it get on my nerves.
Normal tampons contain harmful ingredients. 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, which is 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 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. Women complain about migraines, increased cramp pains, and tons of other effects that are the direct cause of wearing tampons with these ingredients. There is no way anyone can convince me that wearing normal tampons is natural and safe.
Tampons are cosmetics and are many times tested on animals (you have to check your brand/company, testing laws in your country for more info). If you have to wear tampons, please make sure to buy vegan, cruelty-free (and of course organic/bleach-free) tampons.
So anyways, I suggest giving your body a break from tampons and giving cloth pads a try! (see my post on cloth pads here)
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