Tampon Safety: Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

According to the grapevine in 12-year-old Jerri's North Carolina school, tampons not only cause AIDS, but also can be lost in a woman's body, never to be seen again.

If you're hooked into the Internet, you may notice that tampon tales such as these get more creative as they're passed around. The latest stories claim tampons are tainted with cancer-causing toxins and that rayon tampons are especially dangerous. Another Internet rumor suggests that manufacturers add asbestos to tampons to promote excessive bleeding and boost sales.

"It can be hard to tell what stuff is true," says Jerri.

The truth is that tampons can't get lost forever in a woman's body. Rayon tampons are as safe as cotton ones. And asbestos has never had anything to do with fibers that make up tampons.

"The only way asbestos could be connected to tampons would be through tampering," says Mel Stratmeyer, Ph.D., chief of the Food and Drug Administration's health sciences branch. "And we haven't received any reports of such tampering."

FDA regulates tampons as medical devices, and "we ensure that tampon design and materials are safe through a solid, scientifically valid premarket review process," says Colin Pollard, chief of FDA's obstetrics and gynecology devices branch. Tampon manufacturers conduct a battery of safety studies, and tampons must pass through FDA review and clearance before they can be marketed.

FDA also regulates the absorbency ratings for tampons. While high levels of absorbency were initially linked to an infection called toxic shock syndrome (TSS), FDA recently proposed a rule to provide an absorbency term for 15- to 18-gram tampons (ultra absorbency) that may help women manage heavier menstrual flows. (See "Understanding Absorbency.")

"Tampons with this absorbency are available in other countries with very low rates of toxic shock syndrome," explains Kimber Richter, M.D., deputy director of FDA's office of device evaluation. TSS is the only disease with a proven association to tampon use, according to FDA and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tampons and TSS

Any fear still surrounding tampon use likely dates from a time when TSS was first identified. About half of all cases occur in women using tampons, although the exact link between TSS and tampons remains unclear.

Tampons enjoyed a quiet history from 1933 — when the first ones hit the market — until about 1980. That's when CDC noticed a sharp rise in the number of cases of TSS, a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by toxin-producing strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. Experts believe the bacterium releases one or more toxins into the bloodstream.

Between October 1979 and May 1980, 55 TSS cases and seven deaths were reported. Most were among women who experienced onset of illness within a week following their periods. The TSS epidemic reached its peak in 1980 with a total of 813 cases of menstrual-related TSS, including 38 deaths, according to CDC.

CDC carried out national and state-based studies to pinpoint TSS risk factors and used its national surveillance system to track trends. Research suggested one factor was the use of very highly absorbent tampons made from new materials.

Studies showed that women who used Proctor & Gamble's Rely tampons were at substantially greater risk for TSS than other tampon users. This brand consisted of polyester foam and a special type of highly absorbent cellulose, a combination no longer used in tampons. "TSS was not limited to Rely, but it did play a major role," says Pollard. Proctor & Gamble voluntarily withdrew that tampon from the market in 1980, and competing manufacturers of tampons made from other superabsorbent materials began removing them as well.

TSS Cases Drop Dramatically

Compared with the 813 menstrual TSS cases in 1980, there were only three confirmed cases in 1998 and six in 1997. "Although there is some underreporting of cases, this is a real decline," says Rana Hajjeh, M.D., a medical epidemiologist with CDC's division of bacterial and mycotic diseases. She attributes the drop in TSS rates to the removal of Rely from the market and advances in the way FDA regulates tampon materials and absorbency. Women also are much better educated about TSS prevention, she says.

FDA took its first step to protect the public in 1982, when it required that all tampon labels include TSS warning signs. In addition, packages had to include a note that the risk of menstrual TSS can be reduced by not using tampons and by alternating tampons with sanitary napkins. FDA also required that labels advise women to use the lowest absorbency needed to control their flow. CDC studies suggested that, in general, higher tampon absorbency was related to higher TSS risk.

In response to CDC findings and FDA regulatory activities, manufacturers standardized and, in some cases, lowered tampon absorbency. "What's considered superabsorbent today is much less absorbent than superabsorbent tampons used in 1980," Hajjeh says. In 1980, 42 percent of tampon users used very high absorbency tampons, according to CDC. That number dropped to 18 percent by 1983 and to 1 percent by 1986.

In 1990, FDA standardized absorbency labeling, allowing women to compare absorbencies across brands. Before the regulation, super absorbency in one brand could have been the same as regular in another brand. Now, FDA's labeling requirements ensure that a Playtex junior absorbency has an absorbency range of 6 grams of fluid or under, just as an O.B. junior absorbency does (see "Understanding Absorbency").

FDA's Pollard points out that the material of the Rely tampon and its absorbency were very different from that of tampons on the market today. "FDA also has improved its premarket review process and has begun looking at additional tampon characteristics," he says. He adds that all tampon manufacturers, including those introducing new materials, report to FDA on absorbency, as well as on the safety of all components of a tampon, including the cover, string and applicator, and on the chemical composition of any fragrances and color additives.

Companies conduct clinical tests in tampon users to look for bacterial growth and adverse effects, such as allergies and ulceration, with tampon use. Through toxicological testing, manufacturers must show that the tampon will not enhance the growth of Staphylococcus aureus or increase the production of toxic shock syndrome toxin.

"This testing is ongoing for new tampon products," Richter says. "We continue to monitor tampons for safety issues."

FDA also tracks medical device problems through its MedWatch system, which allows consumers and health professionals to report adverse effects from FDA-regulated products.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.