In Canada, a 16-year-old high school student died in her sleep during a school trip in 2017. Forensic pathologists now say she succumbed to toxic shock syndrome, possibly from the tampon she was wearing .
A 16-year-old Canadian high school student died in her sleep, during a school trip in the Vancouver area, on March 15, 2017. If the circumstances of her disappearance resurfaced on Friday, it is because forensic pathologists in the State of British Columbia, Canada, have just made their conclusions: Sara Manitoski died of toxic shock, known as toxic shock syndrome (TSS), possibly due to the tampon she was wearing. Found lifeless in the early morning hours by his classmates, his death had aroused great emotion. Notably because she had complained of stomach pains the night before and that one of her friends had heard her moan during the night, without paying attention to it.
TTS is an acute infectious disease caused by the entry of staphylococcal toxins into the blood. It can quickly affect many different organs including the liver, lungs, and kidneys. Its rapid progression requires emergency care. Sanitary tampons, even organic, must be changed regularly. “Some women are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium which is not normally dangerous”, explained to LCI Dr Gérard Lina, medical biologist and head of the National Reference Center for staphylococci of the Hospices Civils de Lyon. “But wearing a tampon for a long time can ‘block’ it in the vagina. So it multiplies and produces dangerous toxins,” and potential toxic shock.
How does toxic shock syndrome manifest itself?
The symptoms of toxic shock syndrome are reminiscent of the flu with pimples that look like the ones you get when you are in the sun. So difficult to make the relation with the tampon. Professor Gérard Lina has launched a research project to better understand this syndrome which can cost life. He explained to Why Doctor in 2017, that “Staphylococcus aureus is naturally present in the vagina. The toxin multiplies during menstruation in the presence of a tampon, which sometimes creates confusion”.
“For a toxic shock to occur,” he explains, “you need menstrual fluids and a blockage against them. The fluids serve as a sort of culture medium. If the periodic protection is worn too long, the risk of developing staphylococcus increases. The more the tampon has a strong absorbent capacity, the greater the risk “. According to him, French women are poorly informed. “When we question the young women, two-thirds looked at the instructions for use, the others did not. The notion of education in the use of this type of protection does not exist. Everyone learns in their own way. There is a kind of taboo around this: the rules are seen as something dirty. It’s a shame because the problem is hidden “.
Menstrual cups and organic tampons do not reduce the risks
Last April, a study published in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology Applied and Environmental Microbiology argued that menstrual cups or organic tampons do not protect against toxic shock syndrome any more than other female protections.
“Our results do not support the hypothesis which suggests that tampons made exclusively from organic cotton may be inherently safer than those made from a blend of cotton and rayon,” explains Gérard Lina, professor of microbiology at Claude University. Bernard of Lyon. “We have observed that the space between the fibers which contributes to the air supply in the vagina also represents the major site of growth of Staphylococcus aureus (bacteria causing toxic shock, Editor’s note).” In short, the growth of Staphylococcus aureus is greater in tampons whose material has been unstructured during manufacture, than in unmodified tampons.
The results of the study also show that menstrual cups, very popular these days, are not safer than tampons and that they require similar precautions. The researchers even observed a greater growth of Staphylococcus aureus and a higher production of toxins in menstrual cups than in tampons, possibly due to the extra air introduced into the vagina by this type of protection.
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