I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 890

To provide for research to determine the extent to which the presence of

dioxin, synthetic fibers, and other additives in tampons and similar

products used by women with respect to menstruation pose any risks

to the health of women, including risks relating to cervical cancer, endometriosis, infertility, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, immune system deficiencies, pelvic inflammatory disease, and toxic shock syndrome, and

for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 1, 1999

Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. BROWN of California, Ms. NORTON, Mr. FORD, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. FROST, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. KILPATRICK,

Ms. LEE, Mr. MATSUI, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN,

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mrs.

MINK of Hawaii, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. SHOWS, Mrs. THURMAN, and Mrs. JONES of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was

referred to the Committee on Commerce

A BILL

To provide for research to determine the extent to which

the presence of dioxin, synthetic fibers, and other additives in tampons and similar products used by women

with respect to menstruation pose any risks to the health

of women, including risks relating to cervical cancer,

endometriosis, infertility, ovarian cancer, breast cancer,

immune system deficiencies, pelvic inflammatory disease,

and toxic shock syndrome, and for other purposes.
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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tampon Safety and

5 Research Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds as follows:

8 (1) Tampons are used by approximately

9 73,000,000 women in the United States today, and

10 the average woman may use as many as 16,800

11 tampons in her lifetime. A woman on estrogen re12 placement therapy may use as many as 24,360 tam13 pons in her lifetime.

14 (2) The Environmental Protection Agency and

15 the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an

16 arm of the World Health Organization, have con17 cluded that dioxins are a probable human carcinogen

18 (cancer causing agent).

19 (3) Dioxin is a byproduct of chlorine-bleaching

20 processes used in the manufacture of paper prod21 ucts, including tampons, sanitary pads, panty liners,

22 and diapers.

23 (4) While bleaching processes that do not

24 produce dioxin in any amount are available, most

25 pulp and paper manufacturers, which produce the
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1 raw materials used in tampons, currently use either

2 elemental-chlorine or chlorine-dioxide bleaching proc3 esses. Both of these bleaching processes use chlorine

4 and therefore produce dioxin.

5 (5) The effects of dioxin from various sources

6 are cumulative and can be measured 20 to 30 years

7 after exposure. Women may be exposed to dioxin in

8 tampons and other menstrual products for as long

9 as 60 years over the course of their reproductive

10 lives.

11 (6) Internal documents of the Food and Drug

12 Administration suggest the agency has not ade13 quately investigated the danger of dioxin in tam14 pons, according to a 1992 staff report of a sub15 committee of the Committee on Government Oper16 ations of the House of Representatives.

17 (7) The Food and Drug Administration has his18 torically relied on data provided by manufacturers of

19 feminine hygiene products in determining product

20 safety.

21 (8) Although the Food and Drug Administra22 tion currently requires tampon manufacturers to

23 monitor dioxin levels in their finished products, the

24 information is not readily available to the public.
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1 (9) Recent studies have produced conflicting in2 formation about the link between dioxin exposure

3 and increased risks for endometriosis.

4 (10) The Environmental Protection Agency has

5 concluded that people with high levels of exposure to

6 dioxins may be at risk for other noncancer effects

7 that could suppress the immune system, increase the

8 risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, reduce fertility,

9 and interfere with fetal and childhood development.

10 (11) An independent study in 1991 found that

11 tampons commonly included one or more of the fol12 lowing additives: Chlorine compounds, absorbency

13 enhancers (such as surfactants like polysorbate-20),

14 natural and synthetic fibers (such as cotton, rayon,

15 polyester, and polyacrylate), deodorant, and fra16 grance.

17 (12) Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) has been

18 linked to tampon use and the absorbency of the tam19 pon. TSS is a rare bacterial illness that occurs most20 ly in menstruating women. During 1979 and 1980,

21 the syndrome was responsible for at least 55 deaths

22 and 1,066 nonfatal cases.

23 (13) In response to a 1988 lawsuit, the Food

24 and Drug Administration has required tampons to

25 be labeled with reference to an absorbency standard
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1 (e.g., super tampons must absorb between 9 and 12

2 grams of liquid).

3 (14) Independent research has shown that syn4 thetic fiber additives in tampons amplify toxin pro5 duction, which is associated with toxic shock syn6 drome.

7 SEC. 3. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; RESEARCH ON

8 DIOXIN PURSUANT TO OFFICE OF RESEARCH

9 ON WOMEN’S HEALTH.

10 Part F of title IV of the Public Health Service Act

11 (42 U.S.C. 287d et seq.) is amended by adding at the end

12 the following section:

13 ‘‘SEC. 486C. CERTAIN PROJECTS REGARDING WOMEN’S

14 HEALTH.

15 ‘‘(a) DIOXIN IN FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS.—

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of NIH, in

17 collaboration with the Director of the Office, shall

18 provide for the conduct or support of research to de19 termine the extent to which the presence of dioxin,

20 synthetic fibers, and other additives in tampons and

21 other feminine hygiene products—

22 ‘‘(A) poses any risks to the health of

23 women who use the products, including risks re24 lating to cervical cancer, endometriosis, infertil25 ity, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, immune sys-
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1 tem deficiencies, pelvic inflammatory disease,

2 and toxic shock syndrome; and

3 ‘‘(B) poses any risks to the health of chil4 dren of women who used such products during

5 or before the pregnancies involved, including

6 risks relating to fetal and childhood develop7 ment.

8 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT REGARDING DATA FROM

9 MANUFACTURERS.—Research under paragraph (1)

10 shall include research to confirm the data on tam11 pons and other feminine hygiene products submitted

12 to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs by manu13 facturers of such products.

14 ‘‘(3) DEFINITION.—For purposes of paragraph

15 (1), the term ‘feminine hygiene products’ means

16 tampons, pads, liners, and similar products used by

17 women with respect to menstruation or other geni18 tal-tract secretions.

19 ‘‘(b) REPORTS.—Reports on the results of research

20 under subsection (a) shall be periodically submitted to the

21 Congress, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the Ad22 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and

23 the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commis24 sion. Such reports shall be made available to the public

25 through the data system and clearinghouse program es-
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1 tablished under section 486A, or through other appro2 priate means.’’.

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