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According to a survey carried out in England by a consumer association, several menstrual panties from different brands contain a substance in their composition which would be harmful to vaginal health.
Menstrual panties have so far been good: economical, ecological, comfortable and leak-free, they offer a welcome alternative to disposable sanitary protection, the composition of which can pose problems. Results ? They are a hit with all menstruating people, young and old, in France and elsewhere. But one recent survey carried out by the consumer association Which? in England would have found a fault… directly impacting the health of users.
In fact, a few days ago The Guardian, an English daily revealed the conclusions of a survey carried out by a British consumer association in collaboration with an Italian association. They were looking for possible chemicals in the composition of the underwear and found a problematic substance in several brands tested: a high level of silver was found in their lining.
Silver could attack healthy bacteria in the vagina
Silver is used as an antimicrobial agent and is commonly added to menstrual panties to address concerns about odor and hygiene. But this metal is not without risk: the United States Food and Drug Administration has discovered that nanosilver can kill lactobacilli, the healthy bacteria in the vagina that help fight infections.
According to her, the presence of silver could thus expose users of menstrual panties to an increased risk of harmful bacteria, bacterial infections or even pregnancy complications.
Substances which are however authorized
The other problem with this discovery is that this significant presence of silver is not clearly indicated on the packages. Two brands in particular, Bodyform and Marks & Spencer, are targeted by the investigation: several of their protection models contain particularly high levels of metal… without being mentioned. But the brands deny causing harm to women’s health.
They say they use “like many brands, a small quantity of silver chloride in the middle of the gusset (the lining sewn at the level of the vulva, editor’s note), but this chloride, which is not in direct contact with the skin (…) is approved by the European Union, and is made to combat odors.
Consumer associations advise remaining cautious when purchasing menstrual panties that contain silver. They also demand better control of substances and transparency of brands.