John Moody/Wise Traditions Winter 2015

… a recent Argentinian study has found glyphosate in tampons. Now, this news in itself, while galling, did not surprise me. Cotton, after all, was one of the first genetically modified (GM) crops, is one of the heaviest consumers of industrial agricultural chemicals—in particular, the herbicide Roundup, whose active ingredient is glyphosate—and is used in a wide variety of personal care products, from cotton clothing to cotton swabs.

… A bit of human physiology is good to elucidate at this juncture: human vaginal tissue is nearly perfect in its ability to rapidly and completely absorb substances that come in direct contact with it. This means that glyphosate in tampons and other feminine hygiene products will be readily absorbed through the vaginal walls and directly enter the bloodstream.

Image: Trisha Downing @ Unsplash