Two 'Sea Pearls' menstrual sponges, Jade and Pearl Inc. Hawthorne, Florida, 2000-2007
The use of sea sponges as tampons likely dates back thousands of years. Medicated sponges were also widely used as contraceptives in the late 1800s and early 1900s, often marketed as ‘feminine hygiene’ products.
Florida-based company Jade and Pearl has sold ‘Sea Pearls’ reusable sponge tampons since 1974. Promotional literature from 2000 tapped into fears surrounding toxic shock syndrome (TSS), proclaiming their product “Dioxin and Rayon FREE!” and listing a range of diseases related to dioxin exposure.
Until the late 1990s, most conventional tampons contained traces of dioxin, a byproduct of bleaching wood pulp to produce rayon fibre. That manufacturing process has since been replaced, reducing dioxin levels in tampons to less than is typically present in the body from environmental sources.
By 2007, the company’s instruction leaflet had shifted the focus to sustainability, calling the sponge “a renewable resource that provides an ecologically sound product for menstrual use.”
Concerns remain, however, about the safety of using sea sponges as a tampon substitute. There is no research on the best method of cleaning to prevent bacterial growth associated with TSS, and natural sponges can introduce sand, mould, and other irritants into the vagina. For these reasons, they require special approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be sold as menstrual products.
Details
- Category:
- Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception
- Object Number:
- 2025-2045
- Materials:
- sponge
- type:
- menstrual product
