By Gayatri Manu
Tampons, despite being handy when your period does that sneaky thing and springs up on you a week before it’s due, are also notorious for being life-threatening, causing Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), when used incorrectly or left in the vagina for too long. A vaccine has finally been developed by researchers in Vienna, after it was successfully tested in a Phase I trial. They now claim it’s the world’s first safe and effective vaccine against TSS.
Immunization with the vaccine lasts up to 5 years, and when it is injected into the skin, its effects are similar to that of the Tetanus vaccine.
Years ago, tampons used to be made of 100% cotton, and this material was probably much safer, since most tampons these days are made of rayon & viscose. Rayon creates an ideal environment for toxic bacteria to impact our bodies. Tampons are so often the cause of TSS, that it’s also referred to as ‘tampon disease.’
TSS occurs when there’s an infection caused by a bacteria called staphylococcus aureus (Staph), which is already present in many people’s bodies. It does not pose a risk unless it multiplies and overwhelms the body’s natural defenses, and isn’t only caused because of tampons. It causes blood poisoning, and mostly affects people with weakened immunity systems. In June 2015, Lauren Wasser, a model from California, sued the tampon manufacturer Kotex, after she contracted TSS, and had to have her leg amputated.
In the USA, TSS was recognised as a serious health problem in the 80s, and manufacturers were forced to make their tampons with safer material. The number of TSS cases has reduced significantly, according to the FDA. But almost half of all occurrences are still related to the usage of hyper-absorbent material or from not changing tampons frequently enough. Using pads, or menstrual cups can reduce the chances of TSS.
The promising results were recently published in the leading journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.