Tampon of Terror!Okay, when I find a teensy spot of mold on a loaf of bread, I bring it back to the grocery store and demand a refund. If I opened up a brand-new tampon and found it covered in staggeringly horrific mold splotches, I'd ... I'd ... well, I'd be permanently scarred, I can tell you that much.
Or maybe I'd do what Danielle, the woman who actually had this unfortunate experience, did: She took a picture of the Tampon of Terror and posted it on her blog, then sent a complaint email to Kotex. Because this was a big deal! Especially when you consider what could've happened ...
As Danielle pointed out in her post:
And to think, if I hadn't accidentally popped half the tampon out of the applicator while I was getting it out of the packaging, I would have NEVER KNOWN. I am freaked right out! Makes you wonder how many times things like this happen to tampons and we don't have a clue.
Gah! It does make me wonder, and I don't want to wonder! And the response Kotex sent back to Danielle doesn't help matters much:
We understand how distressing it can be to find mold on a product that is used for personal hygiene and apologize for your concern. In instances where it has been found, we conducted tests on the product involved and have found the mold to be a common environmental species that carries no health risk. The vegetative mold is similar in nature to mold on vegetables or in baked goods.
Um ... no health risk?! Simply being exposed to mold environmentally or eating moldy food can cause yeast infections -- what do they think actually sticking a moldy object inside one's lady parts is going to do?!?!?!
Oh, but it gets better. This is my favorite part of the Kotex response:
With the hope that you will continue to use SECURITY tampons with confidence, we are sending you some coupons through the mail for your use on future purchases.
Maybe they should've sent her some coupons for Monistat instead.
Gross. I'm guessing this doesn't happen all that often, but the fact that it happened at all is disconcerting, to say the least. Maybe not enough to give up tampons entirely, but definitely enough to give up Kotex.
Does this story make you think twice about tampons?
Image via parrforthecourse
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Comments 50
Never had a moldy tampon...lol
She must have had that thing stored in a moist environment.
Well I'm definately never using Kotex again.
OMG!!! that is awful!!!!! i am so sorry that that happened yo you "the4mutts"!!! i personally can NEVER use tampons EVER again because ive had TSS toxic shock syndrome from wearing a tampon for 30 mins... literally thats how long i had it in brfore bleeding through it (im a bleeder so this wasnt unusual) and putting a pad on instead so my pants had a lil more protection... i went into septic shock with a fever that broke at 108 only 1/3 of people that go into full blown septic shock live to tell the tale... i almost died i am VERY lucky... i was 14... im 23 now with 2 beautiful lil girls 7 and 2... i am particularly unsettled by the article because not only is this horrifying but also because KOTEX is the brand of tampon that i used and they also had an applicator so if i had mold i wouldnt have had a clue, i called my mom to ask her if she had any tampons cuz i was at my (ex)boyfriends house and didnt have anything with me she didnt have any so she drove to the store and bought them then got iback in the car and drove them to me, she handed them to me at the door i went straight to the bathroom, i used 1, for 30 mins literally before switching to a pad... now im not sure exactly what store she bought them at but im almost 100% sure that where she got them she didnt have to reach under a sink before walking them up to a register to pay for them and i am 100% sure she didnt store them under a sink on the way to bring them to me!!!
No health risk?!?!?! How bout for those of us highly allergic to mold?!? Omg I can't even imagine what that would do to my lady parts. Makes me sick thinking about it :/ She is so lucky she happened to push it half way out by accident!! Glad I don't use this brand!