The Vagina is Fucked Up

Rely tampons

In the late 1970s, Procter and Gamble introduced superabsorbent Rely tampons^[3] , in response to women's demands for tampons which could contain an entire menstrual flow without leaking or replacement.^[2] Rely used carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and compressed beads of polyester for absorption. This tampon design could absorb nearly 20 times its own weight in fluid^[4] . Further, the tampon would "blossom" into a cup shape in the vagina in order to hold menstrual fluids.

The superabsorbent properties of Rely caused vaginal dryness by absorbing the natural humidity of the vagina. Often this led to ulcerations in the vaginal wall when the tampon was removed, offering pathways for bacteria to infect the bloodstream^[4] . Further, the tampons' superabsorbency meant that the viscosity of vaginal fluids was enhanced, providing a good environment for bacteria growth^[5] . In addition, CMC has features which effectively filter the toxins of Staphylococcus which cause TSS^[4] . The recipe for disaster came about as a combination of S. aureus naturally benignly occurring in about 5–15% of women^[6] , the insertion of the tampon adding oxygen to the normally anaerobic vaginal environment allowing for increased bacterial growth, and the tampon's super absorbency meant that women did not need to replace them as frequently and so left them in place longer.

According to the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, 942 women were diagnosed with tampon-related TSS in the USA from the March 1980 to March 1981, 40 of whom died.^[5] In September 1980, Procter and Gamble recalled Rely^{[citation needed]} after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in mid 1980 explaining the bacterial mechanism which lead to TSS, and that Rely tampons was associated with TSS more than any other tampon. As part of the voluntary recall, Procter and Gamble entered into a consent agreement with the FDA "providing for a program for notification to consumers and retrieval of the product from the market".^{[7]
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_Shock_Syndrome}

^{The vagina has a Ph level. It's like a river or a stream. What an incredible price women have to pay for the sake of the species.}