Do the Metals in Tampons Pose Any Health Risks?

A new FDA-led toxicological risk assessment has concluded that trace metals detected in tampons do not pose a meaningful health risk to users, addressing concerns first raised by a widely publicized 2024 study.^1,2 The investigation, which was published in Toxicological Sciences, examined 11 tampon products legally marketed in the US and determined that, although metals are present in tampon materials, the amount likely to be released and absorbed during typical use falls well within established safety thresholds.¹