Nobody checked the tampons until 2024

Here's something that might raise your eyebrow…In 2024, UC Berkeley researchers published the first-ever study measuring what's actually in tampons.

They found trace amounts of lead, arsenic, and cadmium across 14 brands. The FDA investigated and concluded the levels were not high enough to cause harm.

But that's not really the story. The story is that tampons have been used by the majority of menstruating women and girls, every month, for decades. And nobody checked what was in them until 2024. Mind blown…but also, not really…

Why hasn't anyone looked into this before?

Probably because periods have always made people uncomfortable. Even scientists. Even legislators. US politicians introduced bills, specifically the Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act, calling for mandatory safety studies on menstrual products as far back as 2008. Despite trying for more than a decade, they never passed.

A review of two decades of research found just 15 published papers that had ever measured chemicals in menstrual products. For something used by hundreds of millions of people every single month, that’s pretty hard to explain.

But we know it's not an accident. It's a pattern. Women's health has historically been under-researched, under-funded, and honestly, a bit ignored. Periods sit at the centre of that.

So what do we actually know?

Some things - trace metals - have been found in tampons. Various other chemicals have also shown up in pads and liners across studies over the years. The current consensus from those in charge is that the levels detected are not considered harmful.

But "we haven't found harm yet" and "we've thoroughly studied this" aren't the same thing. And for most of the history of modern period products, the second one simply hasn’t occurred.

We’re not here to panic you or tell you what to do. But after doing our own research on ‘toxic tampons’, we do think you deserve to know what's known and what’s not. Because it turns out that someone else isn’t always checking for us.

You may read this and change nothing, or you may decide to reconsider what period products you use. Both are valid choices with the information you now have.

This blog is for general information only and not medical advice. Speak with your GP if you have concerns about your health.

Undercovers period underwear is designed and made in Melbourne, Australia. Curious about making the switch? Start here.