Wait, so you’re not supposed to leave tampons in too long because the tampons have toxins in them that it takes time to absorb, or because the blood it soaks up was supposed to be carrying toxins out of the body?
hi anon,
those are both incorrect understandings of toxic shock syndrome. toxic shock syndrome is caused by overgrowth of specific types of bacteria commonly found in and on the body, which will in turn release toxins. the version affiliated with tampons, which is probably what toxic shock syndrome is most well-known for, happens because tampons provide a great place for that bacteria to grow.
leaving tampons in longer increases the risk of bacteria growing and releasing toxins, which is why it's recommended to change them frequently. the same is true of anything placed in the vagina for extended periods (no pun intended) of time, including other menstrual collection items such a menstrual cups or disks or forms of birth control such as the sponge or diaphragm, both of which have become less popular with the availability of hormonal birth control.
it's important to stress that toxic shock syndrome stemming from tampons and other devices have decreased sharply in the last few decades, ever since the health risks became widely known in the 1980s, and the majority of toxic shock syndrome reported today is not affiliated with any menstrual complications.
okay this is going to sound nitpicky, but menstrual cups do not cause toxic shock syndrome. toxins released by excessive growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes cause toxic shock syndrome. that can happen whether you use a menstrual cup or not, whether you menstruate or not, in a vagina or not. you are in fact more likely to develop toxic shock syndrome in an infected wound than from a menstrual device.
again, I know this sounds like quibbling, but saying that a menstrual cup or tampon "causes" toxic shock syndrome makes it sound like they're not perfectly safe menstrual collection tools, which they both are. they can very slightly increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome but they aren't the cause, in the same way that... I don't know, people going jogging outdoors isn't the cause of people being hit by cars. there's a difference! important difference!
hey, that's a really good practice! a lot of health and wellness grifters get by using terms that sound scary without being able to back them up at all (or even define them), and it's smart to look out for that.
I'm happy to report that the toxins affiliated with toxic shock syndrome are literally just called toxic shock syndrome toxin-1
its true! great post op
