During the early 1980s, the word tampon became briefly synonymous with terror.
Thousands of such cases and around a hundred deaths were reported before the crisis was ultimately contained.
And why isnt toxic shock such a big deal these days?
Tampons are safer today than they were in the early 1980s.Image: IKagadiy (Shutterstock)
Toxic shock syndromecan be brought on by certain infections.
Nearly all the cases involved young women and most had tested positive for S. aureus.
But it also provided an opening for toxic shock to occur.
Tampon manufacturers also adopted consistent product standards that lowered absorbency across the board.
And any new brands have to betestedto ensure they wont help S. aureus bacteria grow.
There are other factors that make tampon-associated toxic shock possible.
Our preexisting defenses matter, too.
Much like before, most of these cases were tied to the use of superabsorbent tampons.
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