Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Esperence Luvindao, has said that the health ministry is investigating claims by a South African study which claims that harmful chemicals were found in sanitary pads used by women during their menstrual cycle.
The said hormone-disrupting chemicals were found in sanitary pads of most brands and are said to be linked to cancer and reproductive disorders.
With Namibia importing a bulk of its products from South Africa, Dr Luvindao was questioned on whether any of these products land in Namibia, and how safe Namibian women and girls are in terms of the usage of these products.
The Health Minister said that she is aware of the reports and that one of the complaints is that studies found that some sanitary pads cause hormone disruption.
She added that unfortunately this requires an investigation and that the nation would be advised on the outcome.
The study, published in Science of the Total Environment, found that every sanitary pad and pantyliner tested contained at least two endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), raising serious questions about consumer safety, chemical disclosure and long-term health risks.
Researchers analysed 16 brands of sanitary pads and eight types of pantyliners sold at popular South African retailers, spanning a range of prices and including products marketed as “organic”, “plant-based” or “free from harmful chemicals”. The findings showed widespread contamination across all the tested products.
Photo: NBC Digital News
