Are menstrual sponges dangerous?
US authority speaks of "high-risk products"
Created: 03/21/2022, 14:15
By: Johanna Werning
Menstrual sponges are considered a sustainable alternative to tampons.
The period products are anything but sterile when you buy them.
"Gentle soft", "plastic-free" and "sustainable" - this is how the so-called
menstrual sponges
are advertised.
The period products
are not new
, but
natural sponges
are currently experiencing a real revival as an alternative to tampons.
The manufacturers promise
wearing comfort, sustainability and high protection
.
And that's exactly what you want during
menstruation*
.
But what's the point?
Are the
menstrual sponges
really as good as the advertising promises or are the
natural sponges even hazardous to health?
Menstrual sponges: This is behind the tampon alternative
In Germany, the
menstrual sponge
is currently celebrating a real comeback and is being advertised as a
sustainable alternative
to tampons.
The period product is intended to help with heavy menstruation.
However, very few people know that the menstrual sponge is actually an animal.
The sponges are at home in all
seas
and live firmly attached to one place.
There, the sponges feed on tiny
food particles
from the water, informs
planet-wissen.de
.
Sea sponges are becoming a more common menstrual product, but is it healthy?
© Colfen/Imago
Are menstrual sponges dangerous?
US authority speaks of "high-risk products"
And that's exactly what causes criticism when
it
comes to
menstrual sponges
.
A study from the 1980s found that the sponges are
anything but sterile
when you buy them.
The result: The natural sponges contained "
sand, grains of sand, bacteria, and various other materials
," according to
the University of Iowa study
.
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The
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA
) still describes period products as “
high-risk products
”.
When analyzed, the sponges contained "sand particles, grains of sand, bacteria, yeast and mold," it said.
That could trigger infections.
One sample even contained
Staphylococcus aureus
.
The bacterium is "by far the most common pathogen of wound infections," informs the
Apotheken Umschau
.
Poll: Do you live sustainably?
That's why you should clean the menstrual sponge "regularly".
Nevertheless, the small brown-yellow sponge is very popular in Germany and is often used during the period.
If you want to use the tampon alternative during menstruation, you should
clean the menstrual sponge “regularly”
, informs
utopia.de
.
However, hot water must not be used for this, otherwise the sponge will become hard.
Before the first use, the
menstrual
sponge should be cleaned with
vinegar water
.
The same applies after the period: Even then, the menstrual sponge should be cleaned "thoroughly" to avoid infections,
utopia.de
continues.
(jw) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.