[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 91 (Thursday, June 23, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                INTRODUCTION OF THE ROBIN DANIELSON ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2011

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, as a long-time advocate of women's health, 
I am proud to reintroduce the Robin Danielson Act, legislation that 
would address the unanswered health concerns regarding the safety of 
tampons. Given the sheer number of women who use these products and the 
potential cumulative adverse effects, it is time women have definitive 
answers about the potential risk these products pose to their health.
  Today, approximately 73,000,000 women in the United States use 
tampons made of cotton and rayon and the average woman may use as many 
as 16,800 tampons in her lifetime. Rayon is a synthetic fiber produced 
from bleached wood pulp. During this process, dioxin, a probable 
cancer-causing agent, is created. Although chlorine-free bleaching 
processes are available, most wood pulp manufacturers use elemental 
chlorine-free bleaching processes, which continue to produce dioxin. 
Due to a lack of access to timely and comprehensive information, most 
women are not fully aware of the potential risks associated with use of 
the mainstream product. Dioxins in tampons and TSS are serious women's 
health concerns that have not been adequately monitored, analyzed, or 
reported.
  Like thousands of others, Robin Danielson, whom the bill is named 
after, was the victim of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a rare but 
potentially life-threatening illness that is often linked to high-
absorbency tampon use. Robin's death could have been prevented if only 
she had recognized the symptoms. Even today, many women are not fully 
aware of the risks of tampon use or TSS. This legislation would direct 
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct research to 
determine the extent to which the presence of dioxin, synthetic fibers, 
and other additives in tampons and related products pose any health 
risks to women and asks the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to 
collect and report information on Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one to 
two of every 100,000 women between the ages of 15-44 years old will be 
diagnosed with TSS each year. Yet, the last national surveillance was 
conducted in 1987 and reporting of TSS by the states is voluntary. It 
is clear we do not have enough transparent or timely information to 
evaluate the reality of TSS today.
  This legislation is necessary to provide women with accurate 
information about the safety of tampons and to increase awareness about 
the risk of TSS.

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