Women deserve better. The #MeToo movement has brought much-needed attention to years of sexual harassment of women. However, now we must also take a serious look at the total care of women. There is much work to do.

As an undergraduate Biology major, I realized women’s healthcare was not a priority in America.There are so many questions that remain unanswered about women's healthcare such as:

Why are women feminine care (tampon and sanitary pad) manufacturers not required to disclose the materials used in the product? I was surprised to learn that chemical ingredients used in feminine care products are not required to be listed because they are considered medical devices.

“Just consider the following, your skin is the largest organ in your body and the thinnest. Therefore, females should consider the harm a tampon can cause when full of toxins and inserted directly into an open and vulnerable bloodstream. Especially a tampon that is in place over 8 hours a day for 4 to 7 days out of the month. This is a serious problem that may cause long-term health issues,” stated Davielle Jackson, owner of Femi Secrets and the signature brand, Pretty Panty.

Still there is hope.

Women should be encouraged by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney's (D-NY) efforts to improve feminine healthcare for women. In 2015, Congresswoman Maloney (D-NY) reintroduced legislation to study the health effects of feminine hygiene products. The Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act (H.R. 1708), directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine through research whether feminine hygiene products that contain dioxin, synthetic fibers, and other chemical additives like chlorine, colorants, and fragrances pose health risks to women. Given the present lack of research there is no way of knowing if medical conditions such as cervical cancer, endometriosis, infertility, and ovarian cancer may be linked to a woman’s use of feminine hygiene products.

The bill also encourages the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to broaden its monitoring efforts and publicly disclose a list of contaminants within the wide range of feminine hygiene products. Currently, the FDA monitors dioxin levels in raw materials and finished tampons but does not presently do so for the multitude of other hygiene products such as pads, liners, cups, sponges, and sprays used by millions of American women.

“American women deserve the ability to make informed decisions when buying feminine hygiene products,” said Maloney. “Given the sheer number of women who use these products, it’s time we have definitive answers on their potential risks to women. Although the FDA requires tampon manufacturers to monitor dioxin levels, we still don’t know enough about the health risks of other chemical contaminants contained in these products. The Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act would enable research and a better understanding of additives in these products so that women can live healthy lives.”

Sadly, this legislation was not passed, and it’s time for a women's health empowerment movement. Women are not fully aware of the harm they face each month and have a right to be fully informed. There are other health and wellness questions that raise concerns.

Why in 2018 are women still dying from childbirth? The Centers for Disease control and Prevention reports that more than 135 expectant and new mothers a day — or roughly 50,000 a year endure dangerous and even life-threatening complications that often leave them wounded, weakened, traumatized, financially devastated, unable to bear more children, or searching in vain for answers about what went wrong.

Why do black women have to continuously be told there is no available information on why black women suffer in larger numbers from uterine fibroids? Fibroids, which are benign tumors in and around the uterus, affect up to 80 percent of American women before the age of 50 and are the leading cause of hysterectomies. However, for reasons currently unknown, black women are more likely to develop fibroids than white women.

Why are women told that there is a need to use feminine cleansing products?

Why do young girls and many women suffer each month due to the lack of access to feminine care products?

Why is there a continual discussion about Planned Parenthood? It appears that this focus is all about access to birth control and abortions. However, women health experts have expressed that a reduction of healthcare facilities will impact access to affordable healthcare for women.

Women deserve researched answers to these questions. It’s time to make women’s health a priority.

Jennifer J. Parker

Writing since April 2018 · 2 stories contributed