A lawsuit targeting several major companies in the feminine hygiene industry has renewed scrutiny of the potential presence of “forever chemicals” in tampons, pads, and other menstrual products.
The lawsuit was filed by seven California women against some of the most popular menstrual product companies, alleging that years of use of the products caused them to suffer severe reproductive harm, including miscarriages, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), chronic heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, and other side effects.
The women allege that the companies sold products containing “permanent chemicals,” also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, fragrances, preservatives and other substances that can cause reproductive harm.
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This month, one of the companies, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, filed a notice of takedown, or a motion to move the lawsuit from California Superior Court in Los Angeles County to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
This comes on the heels of a recent study led by Harvard University. environmental researchfound that mothers with high blood levels of certain PFAS compounds during pregnancy were more likely to have daughters who developed PMOS, later called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and who suffered from moderate to severe acne during adolescence.
California Tampon Lawsuit Details
The women who filed the lawsuit are Alassandra Franco Lopez, Silva Galarza, Cindy Galarza, Riza Jalal, Stephanie Cordova, Mehrnaz Assaf, and Aufra Galung.
The companies sued include Procter & Gamble, Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Essity North America, Kimberly Clark Corporation, Edgewell Personal Care, and The Honey Pot Company. The lawsuit specifically mentions the Tampax, Always, Always Discrete, and L. Organic brands.
newsweek The companies named in the lawsuit were contacted for comment via email.
In her lawsuit, Franco Lopez claimed that she had been using sanitary products sold by both companies for 14 years. She claimed that as a “direct” result of using them, she “suffered serious and life-altering injuries and medical conditions,” including but not limited to endometriosis, ovarian cysts, PMOS, pelvic inflammatory disease, and anemia.
She also said she had suffered a miscarriage, which she believed was “caused or contributed significantly to the reproductive and gynecological injuries she sustained” as a result of using the product, and that she had to undergo surgery for the condition, as well as being hospitalized for severe chronic pain.
She added that these symptoms “significantly interfere with (her) daily life, physical health, mental health, ability to work, ability to walk and get up due to excruciating pain, relationships, and overall quality of life.”
Other women, ranging in age from 25 to 81, also cited medical conditions caused by the use of the product, saying it had significantly harmed their physical, mental and emotional health and affected their daily lives.
They allege that the companies “failed to adequately test their products for long-term safety, failed to disclose the presence of potentially harmful chemicals, failed to provide adequate warnings about health risks, failed to conduct adequate safety monitoring, and failed to take reasonable steps to protect consumers from foreseeable harm.”
This is not the first lawsuit of this kind. In recent years, some have claimed that feminine hygiene products contain dangerous chemicals that are harmful to human health. For example, a 2025 lawsuit alleged that Tampax tampons contain dangerous amounts of lead that can enter the bloodstream and cause side effects.
What are “eternal chemicals”?
PFAS are a large group of synthetic chemicals widely used in consumer and industrial products because of their resistance to water, grease, dirt, and heat. Because of its resistance, it is commonly used in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and stain-resistant furniture, as well as in consumer products and smartwatch wristbands.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified certain PFAS (“forever chemicals”) as Group 1 carcinogens.
According to the EPA’s fact sheet on the substance, long-term PFAS exposure “can reduce quality of life and cause fatal cancer and other serious illnesses.” The agency also said that “PFAS exposure during critical life stages, such as pregnancy and early childhood, may also result in adverse health effects.”
A growing body of research is now highlighting the wide range of effects that exposure to these chemicals has on the body. Studies have also linked PFAS exposure to thyroid disease, liver disease, immune system dysfunction, and other health problems.
Study finds link between PFAS and PMOS
In April of this year, another study suggested the potential effects that PFAS exposure can have on reproductive health.
Researchers at Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from 322 mother-daughter pairs enrolled in the Project Viva study.
They found that mothers who had high blood levels of a certain PFAS chemical, EtFOSAA, during pregnancy were 2.7 times more likely to have daughters who later developed PMOS. They also found that women were 2.3 times more likely to have daughters who suffered from moderate to severe acne during adolescence.
The authors cautioned that the study results indicate an association rather than evidence that PFAS cause PMOS, and noted that the study’s relatively small sample size and limited demographic diversity require further research to confirm the results and better understand the potential reproductive health effects of prenatal PFAS exposure.
Contact Newsweek editors Daniel Orton and Sam Wilson about this story.
