Given we are privileged males – with a certain degree of unawareness – this topic is not something that either of us had really considered before, so when we read a research report highlighting the findings and the potential health risk to women using period products, it was certainly an eye-opener. 

According to the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) (2024), half of the world’s population will have periods during their lifetime, with women, girls and people who menstruate using an average of 11,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime.

A recently published report by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) and WEN, titled Blood, Sweat and Pesticides, investigated the chemical and pesticide contamination in menstrual products, highlighting health risks, regulatory gaps and environmental and social issues tied to cotton production – the key raw material used in these items.

Toxic chemicals in menstrual products

The research found that tampons and pads often contain harmful substances like glyphosate, phthalates, PFAS, dioxins, VOCs and heavy metals (such as lead and arsenic). These chemicals can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, leading to increased levels of absorption compared to exposure through the skin or mouth.

Glyphosate, found in tampons tested by PAN UK, was 40 times higher than allowed in drinking water, although it is noted that they tested only 15 boxes of tampons.

Absence of regulation

The report highlights that the UK does not have specific legislation for menstrual products; only general consumer product law under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 applies. Manufacturers are not required to list ingredients or conduct independent safety testing, and the standards used for testing are not designed for internal use or areas of high absorption.

Health impacts

Chemicals potentially found in period products have been linked to cancers, hormonal disorders, infertility and endometriosis. And women, notably black women and those from lower socioeconomic groups, are more vulnerable due to systematic inequalities, negative socio-historical attitudes and higher exposure to such chemicals from a younger age . (The report notes that black girls are more than twice as likely to start their periods earlier than white girls.)

Cotton supply chain

Cotton is one of the world’s most pesticide-intensive crops, with cotton farming often involving toxic pesticide use. Many cotton workers, often women, face health risks from direct exposure. The provenance of the cotton used in period products bound for the UK is unknown. It is also unclear from the report findings which tampon brand has the highest levels of glyphosate and whether the testing was thorough enough to rule out a single manufacturing quality assurance process failure or some other factor. Worthy of note is that testing methodologies for these chemicals were not specifically designed to take account of internal absorption, and of concern is the fact that the rate of absorption through the genitalia is almost 12 times higher than that through skin on the forearm.

Conclusion

The report calls for urgent regulatory reform, improved transparency and safer product standards to protect the health of women and girls, or, for that matter, the health of anyone using sanitary products. It also emphasises the need for a systemic approach that addresses the entire supply chain, from cotton fields to the final product, with particular attention to women’s health and rights.

There are undoubtedly some shortcomings within the report, but it shines a much-needed light on a topic that would benefit from independent research into what could be a global public health risk.

By Jeremy Manners, RIAMS Chief Editor and Aaron Lawson, RIAMS Editor for Northern Ireland