A model who lost both her legs after using tampons has issued an urgent warning to others.
Back in 2012, Lauren Wasser, from Santa Monica, California, changed her tampons every four hours when she suddenly began to experience flu-like symptoms and high fever, according to Daily Mail.
The then-24-year-old was “10 minutes away from death” and had to be rushed to the hospital, where she suffered two heart attacks and kidney failure, and her tissue began to decompose.
Doctors had no choice but to amputate Wasser’s right leg and some of her left toes. Six years later, she had her left leg removed.
Lauren Wasser lost her legs from Toxic Shock Syndrome. Credit: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty
The now 36-year-old suffered from Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) which is an “acute-onset illness characterized by fever, hypotension, sunburn-like rash, and end-organ damage,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
The rare illness is caused by an excess of staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the body and can quickly become life-threatening if not treated quickly.
It can occur when using a tampon or menstrual cup, or from an infected wound, as reported by the NHS.
During an interview with Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne for their podcast Life Uncut, the model and activist revealed that TSS can happen to anyone, even to those who use tampons correctly.
“People think they’re invincible, no one is off-limits, TSS can happen to anyone at any time,” she shared, as cited by Daily Mail.
She claimed that many of the menstrual cycle products on the market are “full of bleach dioxin, chlorine” and that they are presented as 100 percent cotton but are “still sprayed with pesticides”.
“We’re putting that inside of us at such a delicate time and it creates a perfect storm. It takes one of those toxins to get inside your body and start acting like the flu and shutting down your organs, it’s lethal, it’s dangerous,” she said.
“It’s my goal and life mission to make sure that not only is this information out there but women have these conversations amongst each other, create the dialogue, and check in with each other because knowledge is key,” she added.
In the decade since she was infected, Wasser has refocused her life’s work to advocate for education on tampons and changing the collective conversation around TSS.
She wants women and people who menstruate to be fully aware of the products they use, sharing: “I’m not here to say what anyone should do but I will say I’ve heard of women getting TSS from (menstrual cups) and everything,” adding: “There’s nothing on the market that’s safe 100 percent and that’s what I fight for.”
Wasser dispelled the “misconception” that TSS only happens when someone has had a tampon in for more than eight hours – pointing out that brands write this on the packet to warn people from sleeping with one in.
“They’re vague on the label. Thousands of women have died from using tampons correctly,” she added.
Since her horrifying ordeal, Wasser only uses pads during her cycle and warned others against using tampons if they are sick.
“Obviously, it’s still surrounding the area and I’m not saying that it couldn’t happen but it’s not going inside you, sitting there and creating the perfect storm,” she said.
“If you’re sick don’t ever use tampons,” she continued. “Your body can’t fight two things at the same time because your body’s already fighting whatever sickness, be it a flu or whatever, then you’re putting something in your body that’s extremely toxic.”
Furthermore, the inspiring model is imploring everyone, including first responders like police and paramedics, to educate themselves on TSS and its symptoms as it presents like many other infections in the early stages.