Stand up for accurate labeling - this is important!

Most women and their daughters know that talking about periods can be squeamish for some, but there is helpful info to be shared.

I just found out that there is no federal law which requires disclosure of ingredients in tampons and pads. This means women are left in the dark about what ingredients they are putting on some of the most sensitive and absorptive tissue on their body. To make a change in this important area of health for all women, Women's Voices for the Earth and Seventh Generation want to let you know that Representative Grace Meng is planning to re-introduce a bill to require disclosure of the ingredients used in feminine products. In support of this bill on May 23, women from all over the USA will gather on Capitol Hill to tell Congress: It’s time to care about feminine care. Period.

We know that vaginal tissue is very sensitive and we should be extra careful about what’s coming into contact with it. In fact, there is considerable interest in vaginal drug delivery systems because the vagina is such an effective site to transfer drugs directly into the blood without being metabolized first. One study found that a vaginally applied dose of estradiol (an estrogen proxy) resulted in systemic estradiol levels in the body 10 to 80 times greater compared to the same dose given orally. So, you should really know what the heck is in the products you use around the vagina.

That is why it is so important to know that companies will only tell you a little bit about what’s in their products, in particular those that manufacture tampon and pads. Many do include some basic information on their packages about the ingredients — unless they use fragrance. A ‘fragrance’ can be made up of 50-200 different ingredients, many of which have not been adequately tested for safety; this means that women may expose their body to dangerous substances.

A few, forward-thinking companies are already doing the right thing by voluntarily disclosing the ingredients used in their products. Seventh Generation as a leader is taking the extra step to advocate for transparency industry-wide by co-sponsoring a rally in May.

So let's hope that on May 23, news organizations will cover the effort by women concerned about their health to tell Congress that we have the right to know what’s in the products we use so intimately. Congress can do their part by enacting a very simple, common-sense law.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this blog is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.