The FDA recently announced it will investigate the potential harm of toxic metals in tampons.
The investigation was spurred, in part, by a study conducted by a group of scientists including Kristen Upson, an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Michigan State University.
She joined WKAR’s Melorie Begay to talk about the findings.
Interview Highlights
On the FDA investigating toxic metals in tampons
The FDA taking action is necessary and important. The FDA has regulatory oversight over tampons in the U.S., and they actually define tampons as a Class II medical device.
On why further research into the potentials impacts of exposure while wearing tampons is important
The vagina is unique in that it is highly permeable, it is highly vascularized and it's designed in such a fashion that when chemicals pass through the vaginal wall, they go directly into systemic circulation. They don't have to be further processed by the liver.
Interview Transcript
Melorie Begay: The FDA recently announced it will investigate the potential harm of toxic metals in tampons.
The investigation was spurred, in part, by a study conducted by a group of scientists including Kristen Upson from Michigan State University.
I spoke with her to learn more about the findings.
Kristen, your study uncovered the presence of more than a dozen metals in 30 tampons from 14 different brands, and recently, the FDA said it would investigate the potential harms of these products. What was your reaction when you heard the news?
Kristen Upson: Yeah, the FDA taking action is necessary and important. The FDA has regulatory oversight over tampons in the U.S., and they actually define tampons as a Class II medical device. And I'm pleased to hear that the FDA has commissioned an independent literature review and initiated an internal bench laboratory study to evaluate metals in tampons.
Begay: Your study is considered the first of its kind. Others have looked at chemical exposures, but this one looked at exposure to metals in tampons. What's the difference between these exposures, and how concerning is the finding of metals?
Upson: Part of our research group, we conducted a comprehensive critical literature review where we identified 15 studies that had evaluated the presence of a range of environmental chemicals in tampons. And in that review, we recognized that metals had not been included on the list. And thinking about metals is important, particularly when we think about toxic metals, and I'll use lead as an example, where the toxic metal, lead, because it mimics calcium, it can have its impact throughout the body and affect essentially every organ system, and so it can have a range of adverse health effects, and that's why lead has been so problematic. So, that led us to first ask the question, well, would we see metals in tampons?
Begay: Tampons have been used for decades. Why do you think it's taken so long for these findings to come to light?
Upson: That's kind of the essence of my research as an environmental health researcher is to think about everyday, common factors and how they how they can contribute to environmental exposure and adverse health in menstruators. And so, it is very fascinating that we're in the year 2024, and we're now thinking about metals in tampons, and what could be the impact on health.
Begay: Something mentioned in this study is that more research is needed. What does that look like, and is there anything you're interested in learning more about?
Upson: There's some context at play that we need to think about when we're talking about tampon use in general, and where they're used. So, we have a product that's being used in half the population who have or will menstruate. We're having a product that is commonly used because it has a very special feature in that it retains and absorbs menstrual fluid within the vagina, and that allows people to do the things that they need to do.
But the way tampons work is that when they're in contact with menstrual fluid, they expand and conform to the vaginal wall, and they have a lot of contact with that vaginal surface. And the vagina is unique in that it is highly permeable, it is highly vascularized and it's designed in such a fashion that when chemicals pass through the vaginal wall, they go directly into systemic circulation. They don't have to be further processed by the liver.
And so when you put that all together, it really speaks to the importance of asking these next series of questions and doing the research to understand, well, we saw metals in tampons, but what does that mean for menstruators being exposed, and what is the impact on their health?
Begay: Kristen Upson is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Michigan State University. Thanks for joining me today, Kristen.
Upson: Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
