The Minister of Health himself talks about: † new human land”† Until now, it was impossible to know the exact composition of periodic protective equipment. Tampons, sanitary towels, menstrual cups and panty liners are used by more than 15 million French women every month. “A matter of public and environmental health”† With this new decision currently in preparation, manufacturers will now have to show the greatest transparency.
“The sanitary napkins lack a frame. They are less regulated than a band-aid or a disposable razor, while being used in a much more intimate way.”, sums up Maud Leblon, the director of the Rules Elementary association. For years, feminist associations have been fighting for more transparency. Between toxic shock scandals and questions about the environmental impact of using periodic protection, organizations are finally demanding that the veil be lifted on the composition of tampons, sanitary towels and other menstrual cups…
Ultimately, the draft decree will still be more restrictive than the text proposed by the Georgette Sand, The Women’s Foundation of Elementary Rules associations. Nevertheless, Marie-Paule Noël, who is responsible for issues related to menstrual precariousness within the Georgette Sand collective, is pleased with this “first stage”†
Certainly France Interthe Minister of Health points out that: “many women wonder” on these products “more or less recommended”† It raises a question “public and environmental health”†
With this decree, Olivier Véran therefore wants to force manufacturers to publish “the precise, exhaustive, transparent composition of everything that makes up tampons, sanitary towels, menstrual cups. All hygiene and intimate protection products »† The full list of materials and chemicals used in the manufacture of the guards must be stated on the packaging.
Components “harmful or poisonous”
“Before you know whether these tampons or sanitary pads are harmful to health, you need to know what’s in them”, proclaims Maud Leblon. † Once we have this transparency, we can start with the second phase. We can start more accurate and specific studies on the intravaginal use of these protections to see what’s going on. †
The director of the association for the fight against precarious menstruation adds that certain hygienic protections are sometimes made with products “harmful or poisonous”† “You can find glyphosate, which comes from cotton, depending on how it’s grown. † In addition, they may contain: “fragrant products that are not categorized as toxic, but may cause irritation, inflammation, redness”† Menstruation is not dirty, menstruation does not stink. We don’t have to put perfume in our panties”she decides.
With this decision, the Minister of Health hopes to encourage manufacturers to opt for a more virtuous composition. “I would have done this with the nutritional nutri-score or the tax on soft drinks”explains Olivier Véran at the microphone of France inter. “It had worked and the behavior of manufacturers had changed. They had reduced the sugar in the soda, reduced the salt in the ham, I am convinced that we will also come to a virtuous behavior on the part of the manufacturers of hygienic protection. †
For its application scheduled for January 1, 2023, the text will have to be discussed with manufacturers. Let’s hope the government doesn’t succumb and hold on tight to this long-awaited text.