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Tampons could contain toxic metals, a study conducted at the University of California Berkeley discovered. As if women didn’t have enough to worry about.

According to a statement from the varsity, “Tampons from several brands that potentially millions of people use each month can contain toxic metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium.”

The study, conducted by Dr Jenni Shearston, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley, and her team, examined 30 kinds of tampons across 14 brands with different absorbency levels.

The discovery is especially concerning because the skin of the vagina has a higher potential for chemical absorption than skin elsewhere on the body. Tampons could contain metals from the agricultural or manufacturing processes, “which could be absorbed by the vagina’s highly absorptive tissue, resulting in systemic exposure,” the study stated.

“Although toxic metals are ubiquitous and we are exposed to low levels at any given time, our study clearly shows that metals are also present in menstrual products, and that women might be at higher risk for exposure using these products,” said the study’s co-author Dr Kathrin Schilling, assistant professor at Columbia University.

Why is this discovery concerning? Well, metals have been found to increase the risk of dementia, infertility, diabetes, and cancer. UC Berkley’s statement also detailed that metals can damage the liver, kidneys, and brain, as well as the cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems. Additionally, metals can harm maternal health and foetal development.

“I really hope that manufacturers are required to test their products for metals, especially for toxic metals,” said Dr Shearston. “It would be exciting to see the public call for this, or to ask for better labelling on tampons and other menstrual products.”

However, although the research found toxic metals in tampons, the researchers maintained that they could not determine if these were dangerous to the people using tampons. They highlighted the need for future studies to research the potential for metal leaching from tampons and uptake into the body.

What’s the alternative? People using tampons during their periods could switch to menstrual pads, which are placed in the menstruator’s underwear and remain outside the body.

According to Al Jazeera, for those who wish to use internal menstrual protection, some obstetricians and gynaecologists recommend a menstrual cup or disc instead of tampons. The added advantage of discs and cups is that they can be reused, whereas tampons are disposed of after a single use.