December 16, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. — The Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products (BAHP) and its member companies are confident in the safety of our menstrual products.  Each day all over the world, menstrual products are, and have been, used safely, making an important contribution to the quality of life and self-confidence of millions of people.

Menstrual products are classified as medical devices under US federal law and are subject to specific regulatory requirements, including device listing, appropriate labeling, adverse event reporting and good manufacturing practices. All absorbent hygiene products, including menstrual products, undergo a thorough safety assessment beyond what is required by the applicable regulatory framework. Manufacturers carefully select the raw materials for quality, and they undergo extensive safety evaluation before they are used for products. Manufacturing facilities meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines which includes FDA’s rigorous inspection processes to ensure the quality, cleanliness and hygiene of raw materials and the finished product during the manufacturing process.

Specific to tampons, before they can be legally sold in the U.S., they must go through the FDA’s review to determine whether they are as safe and effective as (substantially equivalent to) legally marketed tampons. 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. FDA’s review includes an evaluation of whether a tampon enhances the growth of the bacteria that causes TSS before the product can be legally marketed.  See link to FDA fact sheet: The Facts on Tampons—and How to Use Them Safely.

Often media and articles on menstrual products focus on the presence of certain chemicals. If present, these are not intentionally added by the manufacturers. Some of these impurities are present in the environment or naturally present at much higher levels in common fruits and vegetables or even made by the human body. Our members use rigorous criteria for quality and hygiene starting with the raw materials and through manufacturing operations to prevent contamination with ubiquitous impurities. Our members routinely test their products with external labs for the presence of background substances and these reports affirm our products are safe and that women can use them with confidence.

New legislation passed in New York and California, requires menstrual product manufacturers to provide ingredient information on product labels and websites. BAHP members follow the new ingredient disclosure requirements for menstrual products. BAHP supported the introduction of federal legislation, The Menstrual Products Right to Know Act of 2022 (H.R. 8829), in September 2022.  A BAHP approved glossary was developed and can be accessed on the association’s educational website: www.femcareanswers.com.

BAHP members take the responsibility of educating girls and women very seriously and are committed to providing accurate and useful information regarding the ingredients in menstrual products. Our industry remains committed to safety, quality and innovation that responds to consumer needs and ensures women can confidently continue to use and enjoy these products.

About BAHP: BAHP serves as the unified voice for personal absorbent hygiene products industry in North America. We foster and advocate for the personal absorbent hygiene products industry by promoting and supporting the safety, sustainability, and integrity of its products. We also educate consumers on the safety and efficacy of these products through our social media platforms and our two educational websites Diaper Answers and FemCare Answers.

Contacts

Bryan Nicholson, 202-908-4350

K. Malaika Walton, 202-495-3126

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