Can tampons cause ovarian cysts and fibroids?

Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a video in which a speaker is claiming that using tampons could lead to ovarian cysts and fibroids.

According to the speaker, tampons actually pull the moisture out of the vagina, which causes cracked skin and reproductive disorders such as tumors, ovarian cysts, and fibroids.

Moreover, the caption of the video thanking Kevin Gates reads, “Thank you @kevingates for spreading wisdom. I can’t stress enough how important it is to get a vaginal hydrotherapy session to clean the womb. Our ancestors didn’t wear pads and tampons and not every woman in the world menstruates. Most women just think all women do.”

“I know what you’re going to say, what are we supposed to use if we are bleeding? Well, actually we are supposed to only bleed 2-5ml of blood during our menstrual cycles. It’s not normal to bleed any more than that. Vaginal steaming will actually reduce the amount of blood loss and well and the length of your menses and the PMS symptoms associated with it.”

Fact check

NewsMeter found the claim to be misleading.

We started our investigation by searching for Kevin Gates’ video.

Performing a reverse image search, we found the original video of the talk show 'Caresha Please' with host Yung Miami on the official YouTube channel REVOLT titled 'Young Miami and Kevin Gates talk sexual fantasies, mental health, monogamy and more'.

On carefully analyzing the video, we found that American rapper Kevin Gates did not point toward the purported risks of using a tampon. Rather he was talking about vaginal wall cleaning and tampons.

What causes fibroids?

According to Hopkins Medicine, the cause of fibroids is not known. Research suggests each tumor develops from an abnormal muscle cell in the uterus and multiplies rapidly when encountering the estrogen hormone, which promotes the tumor’s growth.

What causes ovarian cysts?

According to Mayoclinic most ovarian cysts form as a result of your menstrual cycle. These are called functional cysts. Other types of cysts are much less common.

We tried to find out the relationship between tampons and ovarian cysts and fibroids but couldn't find any conclusive scientific research done on the same.

Moreover, we found a review by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in which they delivered some facts on how to use tampons safely.

The review stated that tampons should be used one time and thrown away.

“FDA-cleared tampons are made of cotton, rayon, or a blend of the two. The absorbent fibers used in FDA-cleared tampons sold today are made with a bleaching process that is free from elemental chlorine, which also prevents products from having dangerous levels of dioxin,” the article said.

“As part of the FDA’s review, manufacturers submit data including the results of testing to evaluate the safety of the materials used to make tampons and applicators (if present); tampon absorbency, strength, and integrity; and whether tampons enhance the growth of certain harmful bacteria or change normal bacteria levels in the vagina.”

The same article also highlighted the risk of getting Toxin Shock Syndrome (TSS) via tampon misuse.

But it further said, ‘Rates of reported TSS cases associated with tampons have declined significantly over the years. One reason is that the FDA evaluates whether a tampon enhances the growth of the bacteria that causes TSS before the product can be legally marketed.’

It should be noted that the main problem is not with the tampons, it is with their usage.

As FDA mentioned, tampons should be used once, not reused. It should be frequently changed.