1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,149 Menstruation. Your Period. Aunt Flo. 2 00:00:03,149 --> 00:00:05,329 Women’s Trouble. That Time of The Month. 3 00:00:05,329 --> 00:00:09,389 Coming Into Womanhood. The Crimson Wave. The Red Badge of Courage. 4 00:00:09,389 --> 00:00:12,240 Flying Your Colors. The Invasion of the Red Army. 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,120 Riding the Cotton Pony. Full Stop. 6 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:20,520 I have a feeling I may have lost the male demographic already… 7 00:00:20,670 --> 00:00:24,390 For something so little discussed, it has so many names. 8 00:00:24,390 --> 00:00:26,980 Menstruation has long been taboo across many cultures, 9 00:00:26,980 --> 00:00:28,630 with women’s cycles regarded 10 00:00:28,630 --> 00:00:31,020 as everything from inconvenient to unclean. 11 00:00:31,020 --> 00:00:32,380 With the creation and evolution 12 00:00:32,380 --> 00:00:34,540 of various feminine hygiene products 13 00:00:34,540 --> 00:00:38,509 a term which itself frames women as being in need of sanitation, 14 00:00:38,509 --> 00:00:40,450 the big red taboo remains, 15 00:00:40,450 --> 00:00:42,780 only now with brightly colored packaging 16 00:00:42,780 --> 00:00:45,280 and laughably unrealistic advertisements 17 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:47,970 of blissfully happy menstruating women. 18 00:00:47,970 --> 00:00:50,220 With the introduction of tampons in the 1930s 19 00:00:50,220 --> 00:00:53,959 a new level of freedom was afforded to menstruating women everywhere. 20 00:00:53,959 --> 00:00:55,919 Or so they were told 21 00:00:55,919 --> 00:00:57,760 Underneath the sanitized imagery 22 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,760 of these apparently revolutionary devices 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,949 remains the inter-related and oft-neglected question: 24 00:01:03,949 --> 00:01:06,309 Are tampons vegan? 25 00:01:06,309 --> 00:01:08,560 And are they even safe? 26 00:01:12,430 --> 00:01:14,430 Hi it’s Emily from Bite Size Vegan 27 00:01:14,430 --> 00:01:16,410 and welcome to another vegan nugget. 28 00:01:16,410 --> 00:01:18,530 When I started researching for this topic, 29 00:01:18,530 --> 00:01:20,430 I figured it would be a relatively simple video 30 00:01:20,430 --> 00:01:21,650 to throw together. 31 00:01:21,650 --> 00:01:22,910 Twenty plus hours later, 32 00:01:22,910 --> 00:01:26,499 I found myself deep in a US patent document from 1997, 33 00:01:26,499 --> 00:01:30,999 tracing down various horrific tampon safety experiments from the 1980s. 34 00:01:30,999 --> 00:01:33,319 Starting with the obligatory Google search, 35 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,089 I found a lot of people asking about the vegan status of tampons, 36 00:01:37,089 --> 00:01:40,650 but only uncertainty and vague supposition in response. 37 00:01:40,650 --> 00:01:43,030 Certainly they couldn’t be tested on animals. 38 00:01:43,030 --> 00:01:45,219 I mean, how would that even work? 39 00:01:45,219 --> 00:01:49,269 As I dug further into the legal history of tampon regulation and litigation, 40 00:01:49,279 --> 00:01:54,049 I realized that this video needed to encompass more than a simple yes or no. 41 00:01:54,049 --> 00:01:57,060 Today we’ll be looking at three inter-connected aspects of the 42 00:01:57,060 --> 00:02:00,860 tampon issue: women’s health, animal testing, and environmental 43 00:02:00,860 --> 00:02:04,550 impact, though this topic bleeds into many other areas as well... 44 00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:06,690 couldn't help myself... 45 00:02:06,690 --> 00:02:09,180 including important women's rights issues. 46 00:02:09,180 --> 00:02:11,698 We’ll spend a good bit of time on the health aspect 47 00:02:11,698 --> 00:02:14,768 because it lays the groundwork for both the animal testing 48 00:02:14,768 --> 00:02:16,789 and environmental impact aspects, 49 00:02:16,789 --> 00:02:20,500 and is incredibly vital information for women and girls to have. 50 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:24,700 You can find chapter markers for navigation in the video description. 51 00:02:24,700 --> 00:02:28,200 I will have a list of resources, along with citations to everything I state, 52 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,960 available on the blog post for this video if you want to delve deeper. 53 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,870 This is a rich and complex subject that one could spend a week 54 00:02:35,870 --> 00:02:38,960 every month investigating and still have more to learn. 55 00:02:39,510 --> 00:02:40,959 Moving on… 56 00:02:40,959 --> 00:02:44,880 Feminine hygiene products are marketed as synonymous with feminine health. 57 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,980 But are they, and tampons in particular, really in a woman’s best interest? 58 00:02:48,980 --> 00:02:53,029 When it comes to the health impact of tampons there are three main variables: 59 00:02:53,029 --> 00:02:56,740 the ingredients, the absorbency level, and the bleaching process. 60 00:02:56,740 --> 00:03:00,109 Each of these relates to two main health concerns: 61 00:03:00,109 --> 00:03:02,579 Toxic Shock Syndrome and dioxin exposure. 62 00:03:02,579 --> 00:03:05,259 To address each of these, we need a brief history 63 00:03:05,259 --> 00:03:07,239 of the little cotton rockets. 64 00:03:07,419 --> 00:03:11,649 Things have come a long way since the belted-on cotton rag contraptions of old, 65 00:03:11,649 --> 00:03:14,169 but really, tampons aren’t as new as you may think. 66 00:03:14,169 --> 00:03:16,860 Introduced commercially in Europe in the 1930s, 67 00:03:16,860 --> 00:03:21,610 they didn’t reach wide acceptance in the United States until around 1974, 68 00:03:21,610 --> 00:03:24,020 due to puritanical concerns that they threatened 69 00:03:24,020 --> 00:03:25,980 the integrity of a woman’s virginity. 70 00:03:25,980 --> 00:03:28,280 In 1974, Procter and Gable 71 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,030 released the Rely brand tampon and American women joined 72 00:03:32,030 --> 00:03:35,330 their European counterparts in revolutionizing that time of the month. 73 00:03:35,330 --> 00:03:40,299 Because what woman doesn’t want “an assurance of daintiness [she’s] never known before” 74 00:03:40,299 --> 00:03:44,979 while doubled over in pain as her uterus plays out its personal Armageddon? 75 00:03:45,750 --> 00:03:50,200 As early as 1975, anecdotal evidence arose connecting Toxic Shock Syndrome 76 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:51,360 to tampon use. 77 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:56,040 Toxic Shock Syndrome, or TSS, is a rare but potentially fatal medical condition 78 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,860 caused by toxins produced by a bacterium and characterized 79 00:03:59,860 --> 00:04:03,019 by fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, 80 00:04:03,019 --> 00:04:07,630 low blood pressure, rash, and sometimes seizures, among other symptoms. 81 00:04:07,630 --> 00:04:11,260 Regardless of this disturbing connection to their products, tampon companies 82 00:04:11,260 --> 00:04:15,230 didn’t investigate for five years, and only then when confronted 83 00:04:15,230 --> 00:04:19,250 by the Center for Disease Control and forced to pay damages to affected women. 84 00:04:19,250 --> 00:04:22,600 Finding the companies had literally no information about the effects 85 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,700 of their products on vaginal physiology and microbiology, 86 00:04:25,700 --> 00:04:29,860 the CDC undertook it’s own tests and within 3-4 weeks 87 00:04:29,860 --> 00:04:33,850 had established that TSS was caused by a particular toxin secreted 88 00:04:33,850 --> 00:04:37,780 by a particular bacterial strain known as staphylococcus aureus. 89 00:04:37,780 --> 00:04:41,290 In the summer of 1980, the CDC recommended warnings be issued 90 00:04:41,290 --> 00:04:45,240 with tampons, a regulation which went into formal effect in 1982 91 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,770 and remains today, as well as cautioned women 92 00:04:47,770 --> 00:04:52,150 that if they wanted to avoid the risk of TSS, to stop using tampons. 93 00:04:52,150 --> 00:04:56,000 The CDC report also found that Procter and Gamble’s Rely tampons 94 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,250 carried the highest risk for TSS. 95 00:04:58,250 --> 00:05:01,390 Rely tampons were uniquely composed of carboxymethylcellulose 96 00:05:01,390 --> 00:05:03,680 and compressed beads of polyester 97 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,970 while other companies utilized a blend of cotton and rayon. 98 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:11,630 “It’s totally different from any other tampon. See Rely is made of two materials. 99 00:05:11,630 --> 00:05:16,410 Each has advantages of its own, but combined, they’re even better.” 100 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,870 Originally tampons were 100% cotton, but in an effort to combat leakage, 101 00:05:20,870 --> 00:05:24,390 companies increased absorbency by introducing blends of synthetic fibers 102 00:05:24,390 --> 00:05:29,890 including polyester, polyacrylate rayon, carboxymehtylcellulose and viscose rayon. 103 00:05:29,890 --> 00:05:33,950 With the rise of TSS cases, all but cotton and rayon were phased out. 104 00:05:33,950 --> 00:05:36,350 While the Food and Drug Administration insists that rayon is safe. 105 00:05:36,350 --> 00:05:39,690 experts like Dr. Philip Tierno, director of microbiology 106 00:05:39,690 --> 00:05:43,380 and diagnostic immunology at New York University Medical Center, 107 00:05:43,380 --> 00:05:47,480 insists that 100% cotton tampons present the lowest risk. 108 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,050 But before you run out to purchase a small cotton plantation 109 00:05:50,050 --> 00:05:54,020 for residence in your nether regions, it’s important to note that cotton 110 00:05:54,020 --> 00:05:59,560 is the dirtiest crop on the planet, occupying only 2.4% of the world’s cropland 111 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,500 but using 16-25% of the world’s pesticides. 112 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:07,380 Aldicarb, for example, a pesticide commonly used in cotton production, 113 00:06:07,380 --> 00:06:10,770 is so toxic that a single drop absorbed through the skin 114 00:06:10,770 --> 00:06:14,230 can kill an adult human. And let’s not forget Lauren Wasser, 115 00:06:14,230 --> 00:06:17,460 the model who at 24 years old had her right leg amputated 116 00:06:17,460 --> 00:06:21,060 due to Toxic Shock Syndrome contracted from Kotex Natural Balance. 117 00:06:21,060 --> 00:06:23,100 cotton tampons. Though she’s now 118 00:06:23,100 --> 00:06:26,330 she's doing excellent work challenging and redefining beauty standards. 119 00:06:26,330 --> 00:06:28,790 But tampon ingredients aren’t the only factor. 120 00:06:28,790 --> 00:06:31,790 In 1980 two influential studies were published 121 00:06:31,790 --> 00:06:34,040 which indicated that tampon absorbency rating 122 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,350 was a greater risk factor for TSS than tampon ingredients, 123 00:06:37,350 --> 00:06:40,060 with the risk rising with absorbency level. 124 00:06:40,060 --> 00:06:44,800 The FDA sprung into action and four years later proposed the creation 125 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,910 of federal regulations for absorbency standards. 126 00:06:47,910 --> 00:06:51,230 After only another five years of lively back and forth 127 00:06:51,230 --> 00:06:55,000 with industry leaders, the FDA finally released their ruling 128 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,210 for “Ranges of Absorbency Labeling” for menstrual tampons 129 00:06:58,210 --> 00:07:03,160 on October 26th, 1989. Made it in under a decade. 130 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:04,530 Well done. 131 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,070 While women could now take comfort in the uniformity of tampon absorbency levels, 132 00:07:09,070 --> 00:07:12,100 it was still impossible for them to know exactly what they 133 00:07:12,100 --> 00:07:13,930 were putting in their bodies. 134 00:07:13,930 --> 00:07:16,770 As early as 1982, the FDA was asked to require 135 00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:20,560 ingredient labeling for tampons due to growing customer concerns. 136 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,780 But despite the advice of its own Obstetrics-Gynecology Devices Panel, 137 00:07:24,780 --> 00:07:28,740 it refused to do so. For a product that has such prolonged 138 00:07:28,740 --> 00:07:31,990 and intimate contact with one of the most sensitive and absorbent 139 00:07:31,990 --> 00:07:34,850 part of the body, the nondisclosure of ingredients 140 00:07:34,850 --> 00:07:36,370 is unsettling at best. 141 00:07:36,370 --> 00:07:39,810 Because the FDA classifies tampons as medical devices, companies 142 00:07:39,810 --> 00:07:43,270 are under no obligation to reveal what’s in their tampons. 143 00:07:43,270 --> 00:07:45,950 Which leads us to the second major health concern: 144 00:07:45,950 --> 00:07:48,640 dioxin exposure in relation to the bleaching process 145 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,190 of tampon production. 146 00:07:50,190 --> 00:07:52,670 Dioxins are a group of chemically-related compounds 147 00:07:52,670 --> 00:07:54,990 that are persistent environmental pollutants 148 00:07:54,990 --> 00:07:58,500 which, due to their fat solubility, accumulate and remain in the body 149 00:07:58,500 --> 00:08:00,490 for 7-11 years. 150 00:08:00,490 --> 00:08:04,470 According to the World Health organization, “dioxins are highly toxic 151 00:08:04,470 --> 00:08:06,800 and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, 152 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:11,390 damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.” 153 00:08:11,390 --> 00:08:15,560 While the majority of dioxins people come into contact with are through meat, dairy, 154 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,860 fish and shellfish consumption, they are also a byproduct 155 00:08:18,860 --> 00:08:22,720 of the chlorine bleaching process used in the manufacture of paper products, 156 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,800 including the rayon in tampons. 157 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:29,700 In 1987, an FDA scientist stated that, “It is critical to an adequate risk assessment 158 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:33,230 that the level of dioxins in tampons, sanitary pads, diapers, 159 00:08:33,230 --> 00:08:34,740 and other medical devices be measured. 160 00:08:34,740 --> 00:08:38,569 The capacity to measure such levels exists within FDA. 161 00:08:38,569 --> 00:08:39,929 Extraction data for dioxin from these products... 162 00:08:39,929 --> 00:08:43,039 would improve the accuracy of any risk assessment.” 163 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:46,549 Yet the FDA again refused the advice of its own people, 164 00:08:46,549 --> 00:08:50,219 saying there wasn’t adequate data on dioxins to warrant labeling. 165 00:08:50,219 --> 00:08:54,619 Later in 1990, along with the EPA and Consumer Product Safety Commission, 166 00:08:54,619 --> 00:08:58,239 the FDA authored a study of risks related to products containing 167 00:08:58,239 --> 00:09:02,509 chlorine-bleached wood pulp and found the dioxin levels to be negligible. 168 00:09:02,509 --> 00:09:05,729 However, numerous specialists disagreed with their conclusion. 169 00:09:05,729 --> 00:09:10,280 One particularly firm voice was that of House Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, 170 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:14,580 who introduced a bill on November 7, 1997 proposing an act entitled 171 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:18,119 “The Tampon Safety and Research Act of 1997.” 172 00:09:18,119 --> 00:09:21,489 The act “provided for research to determine the extent to which 173 00:09:21,489 --> 00:09:25,310 the presence of dioxin, synthetic fibers, and other additives in menstrual 174 00:09:25,310 --> 00:09:28,360 tampons pose any risk to the health of women.” 175 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,039 Sadly, Maloney’s act was not passed. But, ever persistent, 176 00:09:32,039 --> 00:09:34,259 she resubmitted it in 1999, 177 00:09:34,259 --> 00:09:35,300 2003, 178 00:09:35,300 --> 00:09:36,540 2005, 179 00:09:36,540 --> 00:09:37,426 2008, 180 00:09:37,426 --> 00:09:38,384 2011, 181 00:09:38,384 --> 00:09:39,082 2014 182 00:09:39,082 --> 00:09:40,791 and 2015, 183 00:09:40,791 --> 00:09:45,960 now calling it “The Robin Danielson Act,” after a woman who died from TSS in 1998. 184 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,680 An important element of Maloney’s argument remains that the FDA itself 185 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:53,010 doesn’t monitor dioxin levels, but rather relies on companies 186 00:09:53,010 --> 00:09:55,330 to self-monitor and submit reports. 187 00:09:55,330 --> 00:09:58,740 Because if ever there were someone the honor system was made for, 188 00:09:58,740 --> 00:10:02,260 it’s faceless multi-billion dollar corporations! 189 00:10:02,260 --> 00:10:06,600 The dioxin levels found to be negligible by these organizations are based 190 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,870 on one tampon, negating the accumulation 191 00:10:08,870 --> 00:10:09,900 within the body. 192 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:12,660 Maloney compares this to basing the health risks of smoking 193 00:10:12,660 --> 00:10:14,250 on one cigarette. 194 00:10:14,250 --> 00:10:18,270 While tampon companies have moved from the original chlorine gas bleaching methods 195 00:10:18,270 --> 00:10:21,569 to either elemental chlorine-free bleaching or totally 196 00:10:21,569 --> 00:10:25,209 chlorine-free bleaching, most manufacturers use the former, 197 00:10:25,209 --> 00:10:27,399 which still produces dioxins. 198 00:10:27,399 --> 00:10:30,649 Now know what you must be thinking. “Okay, okay, I get it! 199 00:10:30,649 --> 00:10:34,859 Tampons are toxic, infection-filled cancer sticks for my naughty bits. 200 00:10:34,859 --> 00:10:36,569 It’s a tamponspiracy! 201 00:10:36,569 --> 00:10:40,509 But what’s that got to do with veganism?” I’m so glad you asked. 202 00:10:40,509 --> 00:10:42,449 Well, with all the aforementioned safety issues, 203 00:10:42,449 --> 00:10:46,549 scientists of course realized that the only way to keep women safe 204 00:10:46,549 --> 00:10:49,920 from the great white threat was to torture and kill mice, rabbits, 205 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,619 chickens, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, sheep, goats and baboons. 206 00:10:53,619 --> 00:10:57,350 Because nothing says feminine daintiness like brutal vivisection. 207 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,979 While I’ve always had to dig down several layers to get to the substantial 208 00:11:01,979 --> 00:11:06,419 studies when I’ve researched animal testing for particular products like medication, 209 00:11:06,419 --> 00:11:09,410 cigarettes or what have you, there’s always been some readily 210 00:11:09,410 --> 00:11:13,550 accessible information with which to start. This was not the case with tampons. 211 00:11:13,550 --> 00:11:18,460 Outside of questions and debates on vegan forums and a totally uncited excerpt 212 00:11:18,460 --> 00:11:22,029 posted and reposted on vegan tumblrs, I couldn’t find specific information 213 00:11:22,029 --> 00:11:25,250 on how or even if tampons are tested on animals. 214 00:11:25,250 --> 00:11:30,000 However, much like nature’s gift to women, I’m nothing if not persistent. 215 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:31,999 I eventually found my way to a document for 216 00:11:31,999 --> 00:11:36,819 US Patent number 5641503 A for additives to tampons, 217 00:11:36,819 --> 00:11:41,449 filed on January 13th, 1995 and published June 24th, 1997, on behalf 218 00:11:41,449 --> 00:11:47,349 of Mcneil-Ppc, Inc, owned by the more widely known Johnson & Johnson. 219 00:11:47,349 --> 00:11:49,530 This document described several experiments, 220 00:11:49,530 --> 00:11:53,620 giving me just enough to search out the original papers as a starting place. 221 00:11:53,620 --> 00:11:57,390 Now I’m not sure the difficulty of finding such studies was purposeful 222 00:11:57,390 --> 00:12:00,690 but it was certainly in the best interest of tampon producers everywhere. 223 00:12:00,690 --> 00:12:03,079 I’ll briefly describe some choice examples 224 00:12:03,079 --> 00:12:06,639 of the very un-vegan side of tampons, but do refer to the blog post 225 00:12:06,639 --> 00:12:09,639 for links to additional and more thorough examples. 226 00:12:09,639 --> 00:12:11,660 And I won’t be showing anything graphic. 227 00:12:11,660 --> 00:12:14,419 The studies were hard enough to find let alone photos. 228 00:12:14,419 --> 00:12:16,669 To start, almost every experiment I encountered, 229 00:12:16,669 --> 00:12:20,979 whether using live animals or not, at least employed the use of rabbits’ blood 230 00:12:20,979 --> 00:12:25,289 and either bovine brain heart agar, which is exactly what it sounds like, 231 00:12:25,289 --> 00:12:29,149 or some sort of beef heart medium, with several also employing 232 00:12:29,149 --> 00:12:32,230 sheep erythrocytes, and one using fetal calf serum. 233 00:12:32,230 --> 00:12:37,160 A rather unique study incubated fertilized hen’s eggs for 11 days and then injected 234 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:42,410 the live chicken embryos with Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin One, knows as TSST-1. 235 00:12:42,410 --> 00:12:47,439 The embryos were then “examined for death 24 hours after the injection.” 236 00:12:47,439 --> 00:12:50,780 Rabbit models for tampon safety come in several variations. 237 00:12:50,780 --> 00:12:54,700 Some rabbits received multiple intradermal injections into their backs 238 00:12:54,700 --> 00:13:00,499 of the TSS toxin over a period of 7 weeks at which point “the rabbits were bled.” 239 00:13:00,499 --> 00:13:03,379 One experiment described strapping the rabbits into a rack 240 00:13:03,379 --> 00:13:06,270 for four hours to acclimate them so they’d fight less 241 00:13:06,270 --> 00:13:08,170 when restrained for injection. 242 00:13:08,170 --> 00:13:11,839 Then their “deaths were recorded and surviving rabbits were observed after 243 00:13:11,839 --> 00:13:15,709 four days for gross myocardial and liver necrosis.” Some were also 244 00:13:15,709 --> 00:13:19,680 given endotoxins “to determine their susceptibility to lethal shock.” 245 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:23,809 Other methods implanted subcutaneous diffusion chambers under the rabbits’ skin 246 00:13:23,809 --> 00:13:25,639 for a steady release of toxins. 247 00:13:25,639 --> 00:13:29,089 One such experiment included that their diffusion chambers were made 248 00:13:29,089 --> 00:13:31,779 of “perforated polyethylene gold balls.” 249 00:13:31,779 --> 00:13:34,900 Yet other rabbits had four diffusion chambers implanted 250 00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:38,630 in their uteruses, releasing toxins directly into their wombs. 251 00:13:38,630 --> 00:13:41,009 The chambers were “recovered at the time of death 252 00:13:41,009 --> 00:13:44,220 or after 14 days when the experiment was terminated,” 253 00:13:44,220 --> 00:13:47,489 at which time all remaining rabbits were killed and dissected. 254 00:13:47,489 --> 00:13:51,360 Some rabbits endured the repeated vaginal insertion of actual tampons 255 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,450 laced with live TSST positive bacteria. 256 00:13:54,450 --> 00:13:58,079 In one such experiment, rabbits had an infected tampon inserted 257 00:13:58,079 --> 00:14:01,760 and left for four hours before having it removed and the process repeated 258 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,280 with a sterile tampon, and then again with a third 259 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:09,209 that was left in for 14-16 hours to simulate overnight usage. 260 00:14:09,209 --> 00:14:12,459 Menstruation was simulated by injecting a mixture of rabbit blood 261 00:14:12,459 --> 00:14:15,479 and bovine serum albumin into the rabbits’ vaginas 262 00:14:15,479 --> 00:14:17,169 once the tampons were in place. 263 00:14:17,169 --> 00:14:21,079 Perhaps the most bizarre iteration was an experiment where tampons 264 00:14:21,079 --> 00:14:25,850 were inserted subcutaneously into the tissue on the back of the rabbits’ necks. 265 00:14:25,850 --> 00:14:28,769 The forced vaginal insertion of toxin-laced tampons 266 00:14:28,769 --> 00:14:32,339 was also inflicted upon baboons, with one experiment leaving them in 267 00:14:32,339 --> 00:14:35,449 for twelve hours at a time “to allow for additional growth 268 00:14:35,449 --> 00:14:40,240 of staphylococcus aureus and TSST-1 production within the vaginal cavity.” 269 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,430 Guinea pigs also received intravaginal innoculations of the TSS toxin 270 00:14:44,430 --> 00:14:47,820 and other associated strains in an experiment carried out 271 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:51,279 at a University 15 minutes from where I currently live. 272 00:14:51,419 --> 00:14:55,309 One report used terminology I’ve never before seen in a scientific paper 273 00:14:55,309 --> 00:14:58,059 stating that the rabbits who hadn’t already died 274 00:14:58,059 --> 00:15:02,549 were “sacrificed” for dissection, a term which actually captures 275 00:15:02,549 --> 00:15:05,279 rather simply the main argument for animal testing. 276 00:15:05,279 --> 00:15:08,539 Namely that it’s a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. 277 00:15:08,539 --> 00:15:11,819 I have an entire video series on animal testing delving into 278 00:15:11,819 --> 00:15:14,489 this argument and more, but a summary review 279 00:15:14,489 --> 00:15:17,720 on Toxic Shock Syndrome research from within the scientific community 280 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,409 itself and one that’s in favor of continued experimentation, 281 00:15:21,409 --> 00:15:23,209 says it better than I ever could: 282 00:15:23,209 --> 00:15:27,810 “That S. aureus strains produce a wide number of extracellular products… 283 00:15:27,810 --> 00:15:31,019 which cause severe biologic effects in some animals makes it difficult 284 00:15:31,019 --> 00:15:35,049 to confirm that the symptoms noted in animals given TSST-1 or infected 285 00:15:35,049 --> 00:15:40,079 with TSST-1-producing strains are specific for TSS in humans.” 286 00:15:40,079 --> 00:15:43,189 Basically meaning because these are mice, rabbits, rats, hamsters, 287 00:15:43,189 --> 00:15:46,979 guinea pigs, monkeys, sheep, goats, and baboons, and not humans, 288 00:15:46,979 --> 00:15:51,290 the results can’t be relied upon as indicators of human reactions. 289 00:15:51,290 --> 00:15:53,270 So what was the point? 290 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,969 Well, the report assures that “Nonetheless, most animal model data 291 00:15:57,969 --> 00:16:01,269 relating to the effects of TSST-1 strongly support its role 292 00:16:01,269 --> 00:16:04,219 as the most prominent toxin causing TSS.” 293 00:16:04,369 --> 00:16:05,589 Excellent. 294 00:16:05,589 --> 00:16:09,309 Now we know that the Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin Number One 295 00:16:09,309 --> 00:16:13,109 is the most prominent cause of Toxic Shock Syndrome. 296 00:16:13,109 --> 00:16:16,149 I’m sure every one of those beings who was injected, 297 00:16:16,149 --> 00:16:22,009 cut into, raped with toxin-laced tampons, and “sacrificed” can rest easy knowing 298 00:16:22,009 --> 00:16:26,239 their invaluable contribution to science was not in vain. 299 00:16:27,139 --> 00:16:30,740 While most of the specific experiments I described were from the eighties 300 00:16:30,740 --> 00:16:34,180 and nineties, with a few in the 2000’s this kind of experimentation 301 00:16:34,180 --> 00:16:38,120 continues today all over the world, right in our own backyards. 302 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,960 Now if what we’ve covered already isn’t reason enough to ditch 303 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,719 the little toxic seeds of vaginal destruction, 304 00:16:43,719 --> 00:16:47,419 let’s briefly look into the environmental impact of our Monthly Visitor 305 00:16:47,419 --> 00:16:52,380 The average woman will throw away 250-300 pounds of menstruation products 306 00:16:52,380 --> 00:16:56,430 including as many as 16,800 tampons in her lifetime. 307 00:16:56,430 --> 00:17:00,599 While both tampons and pads leach chemicals, including dioxins, into the water 308 00:17:00,599 --> 00:17:04,239 and soil, tampons in particular are a major hazard to marine life. 309 00:17:04,239 --> 00:17:07,049 The buoyant applicators can float out for miles and are often eaten 310 00:17:07,049 --> 00:17:10,740 by marine wildlife, becoming lodged in their digestive tracts, 311 00:17:10,740 --> 00:17:12,440 causing them to slowly starve to death. 312 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:16,020 Some also contain bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor 313 00:17:16,020 --> 00:17:18,950 proven to have harmful effects on aquatic wildlife. 314 00:17:18,950 --> 00:17:22,620 Used tampons and pads can harbor harmful pathogens and bacteria, 315 00:17:22,620 --> 00:17:27,470 and their decomposition in landfills is unlikely to impossible with a 2005 study 316 00:17:27,470 --> 00:17:32,010 showing tampons to be the slowest to degrade of all paper/cotton products. 317 00:17:32,010 --> 00:17:33,560 I think it’s safe to say, after all of this, 318 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,560 that mainstream tampons are decidedly not vegan 319 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,380 and very, very likely, not safe. 320 00:17:39,380 --> 00:17:42,770 So what’s a girl to do when the Uterine Ninjas arrive? 321 00:17:42,770 --> 00:17:47,050 Well, luckily there are alternatives which I have links to on the blog post. 322 00:17:47,050 --> 00:17:50,230 There are several brands of 100% organic cotton tampons, 323 00:17:50,230 --> 00:17:53,590 which sidesteps the toxic chemicals of conventional cotton 324 00:17:53,590 --> 00:17:57,130 and the questionable affects of rayon, though can still contribute 325 00:17:57,130 --> 00:17:59,750 to pollution even if labeled biodegradable. 326 00:17:59,750 --> 00:18:04,090 The ones I have listed on the blog post have clear no animal testing policies. 327 00:18:04,090 --> 00:18:07,710 An alternative that checks all the boxes is a menstrual cup, 328 00:18:07,710 --> 00:18:10,390 which, believe it or not, even predates the tampon, 329 00:18:10,390 --> 00:18:13,720 with the first known concept arising in 1867. 330 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,610 Though distributed since the 1930’s, menstrual cups have not seen 331 00:18:17,610 --> 00:18:21,380 the same success as tampons, possibly in part because of their lack 332 00:18:21,380 --> 00:18:23,630 of built in obsolescence, meaning most of the companies 333 00:18:23,630 --> 00:18:25,630 are small and independently run. 334 00:18:25,630 --> 00:18:28,970 Options include the Keeper, the Diva Cup, and more. 335 00:18:28,970 --> 00:18:31,590 Additionally, for your pads, as they are composed of the same 336 00:18:31,590 --> 00:18:35,640 questionable materials and toxins, and just as environmentally destructive, 337 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,330 there are reusable cloth options like GladRags and Lunapads, 338 00:18:39,330 --> 00:18:41,510 with organic non-bleached options. 339 00:18:41,510 --> 00:18:45,920 Both the cups and reusable pads have to struggle against societal norms 340 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:50,240 and menstruation taboos as they require a bit more intimacy with your own anatomy. 341 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,490 But when you think of your health, the needless torture of animals, 342 00:18:53,490 --> 00:18:56,960 and the destruction of the planet and its marine life, getting a little more 343 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,620 acquainted with your private parts seems a small price to pay. 344 00:19:00,620 --> 00:19:05,410 And since cups and cloth last for years, you actually save money! 345 00:19:05,410 --> 00:19:09,600 I hope that this video has been helpful. It’s far longer than I originally envisioned 346 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,820 but in seeing how very little reliable information is out there on this topic, 347 00:19:13,820 --> 00:19:15,320 I really wanted to be thorough. 348 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,230 Menstruation is nothing to be ashamed of or secretive about. 349 00:19:19,230 --> 00:19:22,240 Just like the importance of exposing the animal products industries, 350 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,850 it’s only when we shine a light on what’s hidden that we can know what we 351 00:19:25,850 --> 00:19:29,510 are supporting and choose to make different decisions from here on out. 352 00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:33,480 The time it took to produce this video clocks in at about [62 hours]. 353 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,770 If you’d like to help support Bite Size Vegan so I can keep 354 00:19:36,770 --> 00:19:39,920 putting in the long hours to bring you this educational resource, 355 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,100 please check out the support links in the video description below where you can give 356 00:19:43,100 --> 00:19:46,550 a one-time donation or receive perks and rewards for your support 357 00:19:46,550 --> 00:19:50,390 by joining the Nugget Army, the link for that is also in the iCard sidebar. 358 00:19:50,390 --> 00:19:55,810 I’d like to give a special thanks my $50 and above patrons and my whole Patreon family 359 00:19:55,810 --> 00:19:58,730 for making this and all of my videos possible. 360 00:19:58,730 --> 00:20:00,740 You are beyond awesomtastic. 361 00:20:00,740 --> 00:20:03,490 Now I’d love to hear your thoughts on this red-hot report. 362 00:20:03,490 --> 00:20:05,570 Did you know this information about tampons? 363 00:20:05,570 --> 00:20:09,150 What alternatives do you use or think you’d like to try in place 364 00:20:09,150 --> 00:20:12,840 of those treacherous tomes of toxic death? Let me know in the comments! 365 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,880 If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up and share it around 366 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,570 to help inform other women and girls. If you’re new, be sure to hit 367 00:20:19,570 --> 00:20:22,900 that big red subscribe button down there for more awesome vegan content 368 00:20:22,900 --> 00:20:25,110 every Monday, Wednesday, and some Fridays. 369 00:20:25,110 --> 00:20:27,286 Now go live vegan, Ride the Crimson Wave 370 00:20:27,286 --> 00:20:30,166 on the Cotton Pony, and I’ll see you soon. 371 00:20:30,986 --> 00:20:34,462 I just discovered something great! It's Rely. 372 00:20:34,462 --> 00:20:38,792 A new tampon from Proctor and Gamble. It's really different and better. 373 00:20:38,792 --> 00:20:43,184 Really a better tampon. Remember they named it Rely. 374 00:20:43,784 --> 00:20:48,262 If you use Rely Tampons here is an important message from Proctor and Gamble. 375 00:20:48,262 --> 00:20:53,019 Women who use Rely Tampons should stop using them and return any unused 376 00:20:53,019 --> 00:20:55,268 product to Proctor and Gamble for a refund. 377 00:20:55,268 --> 00:20:59,309 Proctor and Gamble has suspended the sale of Rely tampons. 378 00:20:59,309 --> 00:21:02,835 This action has been taken until more is known about a new disease 379 00:21:02,835 --> 00:21:07,699 called Toxic Shock Syndrome. Some studies suggest that Rely Tampons 380 00:21:07,699 --> 00:21:10,500 increase the risk more than other tampon brands. 381 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:13,453 We advise you to stop using Rely tampons. 382 00:21:14,603 --> 00:21:16,802 Remember they named it Rely