A 27-year-old American woman with her leg amputated due to toxic shock syndrome from a tampon, is suing the manufacturer.
It’s a trite act for millions of women around the world, and yet it shattered Lauren Wasser’s fate. The 27-year-old American almost died three years ago when she suffered from toxic shock syndrome (TSS) after using a tampon.
Today, the young woman decided to tell her story on the American site Vice. The goal of its action: to encourage manufacturers to communicate more on the composition of products, but also on the potential risks for which users must be prepared.
A rare but dangerous infection
It was in October 2012 that the fate of Lauren Wasser changed. The young woman lives in Santa Monica, not far from Los Angeles. Tall blonde with blue eyes, the Californian is a high-level basketball player, but also a model. After a day of high fever, which she associated with her period, she bought a box of Kotex brand tampons that she had been using for over ten years.
She is sick of the night. Her mother will find her the next morning, unconscious and lying on the floor of her bedroom. She will be taken to the emergency room with more than 41 ° C fever, and bordering on cardiac arrest.
At the hospital, doctors examining him suspect toxic shock syndrome from his tampon. Caused by bacteria (TSST-1), produced by Staphylococcus aureus, TSS is an infectious disease, which, although very rare and little known, can be fatal. The bacteria, identified in 1978 after an epidemic in the United States, enters the blood. The infection progresses very quickly until it reaches one or more organs (kidneys, liver, lungs) which gradually cease to function. A tampon alone is not enough to release the toxin, you must already be a carrier of the bacteria. However, tampons, which are made from synthetic fibers, can promote its development and lead to TSS.
Warnings not clear enough
Even though she survived, Lauren Wasser had to have her right leg amputated, at the knee, and part of her left foot, gangrened by the infection. Supported by her mother, the young woman decided to sue the manufacturer of the Kotex brand, whom she accuses of being more “at risk” than the others, but also of not being clear enough in the warnings on the box. . Lauren and her mother intend to bring their story to the US Congress, to force manufacturers to reveal the composition of these products, used every day by millions of women.
Tips for avoiding TBS
- Change your tampon every four to eight hours (even overnight)
- Use normal or poorly absorbent tampons, even if it means changing them more often (super absorbent tampons can promote the development of bacteria and therefore infections)
- Use sanitary napkins or a menstrual cup, whichever works best for you
- Wash your hands before putting on or taking off a tampon
- Remove the tampon as soon as your period ends
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