Arsenic and Lead Poisoning Exclusively to Women in 2024 – Equality?

Flo, menstrual reminder, – time of the month to stock up on tampons. Why not expose ourselves to toxic metals, fancy a hemodialysis? 

It’s 2024. We’re advanced. Investing in business, tech, property. Mobiles, rockets, planes submarines, yachts even, go through meticulous testing. These things are expensive, it’s vital they’re safe to use, right? Half the human race’s lives are currently participating in Russian roulette, without warning.

Women, going back generations, hundreds of years even, were always a second thought. Acknowledgment is only noticed when needed to pro create, historically we were not a priority. Second class citizens, sorry mankind. We should be happy we’re seen and treated as equals today, right? Medically, socially, financially even politically we’re on an equal keel, there’s no turning back now. 

… All the while, we’ve been digesting metals. You name it, we’ve willingly subjected our body to these substances unknowingly. You want someone dead, what’s the first poison you think of: arsenic, right? Envision that on a large scale, mass execution. Jim Jones massacre style. Where would you punish women most? Lightbulb moment, when they’re most susceptible, left unchallenged due to the stigma.

You protect your kids from any dangers. All along, we’ve been filling bathroom cabinets with compromised, tampons from organic all the way to high street, ALL brands. There’s no escape. And guys, you’re not entirely exempt as tampon material is sometimes used for hemostasis in surgery.

In the study, led by those at the University of California Berkeley, scientists assessed the levels of 16 metals, including arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, lead, and selenium in 30 tampons from 14 different brands. They found that metals were present in all types of tampons, whether bought in the US or EU/UK, with no category having consistently lower concentrations of most of the metals. Some of these, they say, might be from intentional addition during manufacturing as part of a pigment, whitener, antibacterial agent, or some other process in the factory.

Despite tampons being on the market for 90 years – they were first launched in 1934 – this is the first study into whether heavy metals exist in period products. The researchers decided to investigate as tampons are made from natural materials, such as cotton, rayon and viscose, all of which are exposed to heavy metals during the agricultural or manufacturing processes.

Previous studies have also found that the exposure to toxic metals like lead and arsenic is linked to a wide range of health conditions, including dementia, infertility, diabetes, and cancer, and also damage to organs, including the liver, kidneys, and brain.

Researchers suspect that metals were making their way into tampons likely in a number of ways during manufacturing.

How much more clarity do we need? Years ago medics labelled ‘erectile dysfunction’ as the all mighty, life debilitating condition – the inability to have sex. Groundbreaking and life changing research then voilà, viagra was introduced.

You’re telling me for all this time, tampons were and are containing added metals, but it was a simple error, overlooked. 

Simple incompetence, lack of care, or a concoction far more sinister? Come on, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist… well actually it might, research you see.

If this were your partner adding poison into your body, forensics would be all over it, manslaughter or potentially even a murder charge. Why haven’t researchers shown interest prior to now? Lack of funding for women’s health?

Maybe we’re not intimidating enough, let me pop my collar and adjust my tie, then I may be taken seriously…

The calculated priorities behind encouraging women to embark on a journey with contraception; fast-tracking contraceptive pills now accessible over the counter, to make women feel in control of their bodies, liberating and empowerment is what we’re made to believe. Why has contraception been at the forefront of research, regulations and availability whereas sanitary products like tampons which are a factual necessity for women’s menstruation, a somewhat afterthought? Controlling how my body naturally functions is more important than potentially damaging not only my reproductive system, but overall health?

Hey, at least we can engage in intercourse due to contraception no matter the cost of toxicity and men having a helping hand with viagra. A sexless relationship isn’t a laughing matter, it’s a medical condition… A woman harbouring over 16 metals each month, has only been discovered now almost 100 years later – accidental?! Let me guess, lesson learnt, we’ll extract the metals now, oops silly error.

Your sanitary products are not only disposable, we are too.

Why would you think contraception is more important in every day life than sanitary products. It’s not for you and I, the picture is far wider. The population. Many reasons at play, one is controlling menstruation. Like it’s taboo. I had one doctor a while back say, “The contraception pill is a great, safe pill, there are many benefits like take for example you have a wedding to attend, before you’d be worried if it coincides with your time of the month, potentially bleeding on a special outfit. But with the pill, you can take it for the full month and your period won’t start. It will only begin once you stop taking it for a 7-day window. Some women take it continuously for months without pause, not recommended but if it’s a busy time for you, the option’s there.”. Tell me this is not worrying? Sure, I get some ladies out there have a heavier flow and the contraception pill for example can lessen the severity, which is formally accounted for medical use . But for the everyday woman, why are we putting our reproductive system, secondary to dresses, weddings, work or special occasions? Are we that insignificant? Problematic?

Instead of supporting, encouraging and uplifting women and their bodies, let’s change the structure, inner workings, as simply the world isn’t accommodating of it yet. Nope, just no.

We, as women need to stop this toxic agenda that women’s rights in society have come a long way. That we’re being listened to and we’re “equal”. Ultimately, we’re not. The 1930’s has made its way to the present day. Who know’s if we’ll ever be equal. More importantly, don’t trust societal expectations, narrative or advice even. Listen and trust yourself, your intuition and most importantly, do your own research. Certain information out there is limited, purposefully – imagine how dangerous the world would be if everyone felt empowered and not like sheep constantly shorn whenever we scrutinise.

Lastly, who do you think invented the tampon? Earle Haas was an osteopathic physician and inventor of the tampon with an applicator, marketed as “Tampax”.

Is it still a man’s world? You tell me. Pink tax – women pay exclusive rates for poison. Hey, at least the packaging’s pretty.

What do you think? Do you use sanitary products like tampons? Do you know people that do? Would you be more likely to use exterior pads to lesson the potential risks? Comment below!