Tens of thousands of Americans use menstrual product, yet manufacturers do not disclose the chemicals in them. Several states have now called for more transparency, in response to calls for more research and disclosure about the health effects of these menstrual products.
Period products, including tampons and pads, are a huge business in the United States. Sales of these products should reach $4.5 billion by this year. In their lifetime, women use an average of 17,000 tampons, pads, rubber or silicone cups and absorbent period clothing.
Menstrual products, which are classified by the FDA as medical devices and therefore not subject to labeling laws like other consumer goods, are not regulated or regulated by FDA. But companies can voluntarily disclose what’s in their products.
Now, states are taking action. New York was the first to pass a menstrual disclosure law in 2021 that required companies to list on packaging all ingredients intentionally added. California’s governor signed a similar law that took effect this year, but it gives manufacturers trade secret protections, so not all ingredients are necessarily disclosed. At least six other…
