{"paper_id":"a93b5335-f50c-4b18-bef8-4452d074bfed","body_text":"Abstract\nThis study examines the potential role of vaginal tampons in women with endometriosis. In light of the fact that some medical practitioners view an appliance worn internally as a form of medical device, and in light of the recent knowledge about tampons gained during the crisis surrounding Toxic Shock Syndrome, little published information about women's menstrual patterns and practices was found.\nThe data used here were provided by 470 members of the Endometriosis Association. These respondents' medical, surgical, and fertility case histories are stored in the Association's Data Registry housed at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Cases in this study are white; the average age is 31±5.2 years and 82 percent report use of tampons routinely.\nIn contrast, general rates of tampon use, derived historically from several published studies using control groups matched to cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome were used for comparison. Results showed that rates of tampon use for women with endometriosis were similar to rates reported for the general population, 75 to 83 percent. We did find that within this group of mature white women, initiation of tampon use varied by age. Supporting Irwin and Millstein's study of tampon use in adolescent girls, an analysis of variance showed these women initiated tampon use at progressively earlier ages (p<0.001).\nSimilar content being viewed by others\nReferences\nWilliams TJ: The role of surgery in the management of endometriosis.Mayo Clinic Proceedings 50:198–203, 1975.\nWeed JC, Holland JB: Endometriosis and infertility: An enigma.Fertil Steril 28:135–140, 1977.\nButtram VC: Conservative surgery for endometriosis in the infertile famale: A study of 206 patients with implications for both medical and surgical therapy.Fertil Steril 31:117–123, 1979.\nGreenblatt RB, Tzingounis V: Danazol treatment of endometriosis: Long-term follow-up.Fertil Steril 32:518–520, 1979.\nKistner RW: Current concepts in endometriosis: An international review.J Reprod Med 19:299–328, 1977.\nDmowski WP, Radwanska E: Current concepts on pathology, histogenesis, and etiology of endometriosis.Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand Suppl 123:29–35, 1984.\nSampson JA: Peritoneal endometriosis due to the menstrual disemination of endometrial tissue into the peritoneal cavity.Am J Obstet Gynecol 14:422–469, 1927.\nOsterholm MT, Davis JP, Gibson RW, Forfang JC, Stolz SJ, Vergeront JM: Toxic shock syndrome: Relation to catemenial products, personal health and hygiene, and sexual practices.Ann Intern Med 96:954–958, 1982.\nSherrid P: Tampons after the shock wave.Fortune 104:114–129, 1981.\nTodd J, Fishaut M, Kapral F: Toxic-shock syndrome associated with phage-group-I staphylococci.Lancet 2:1116–1118, 1978.\nDavis JP, Vergeront JM: The effect of publicity on the reporting of toxic-shock syndrome in Wisconsin.J Infect Dis 145: 449–457, 1982.\nShands KN, Schleck WF, Hargrett NJ, Dan BB, Schmid GP, Bennett JV: Toxic shock syndrome: Case control studies at the Centers for Disease Control.Ann Intern Med 96:895–898, 1982.\nDavis JP, Chesney PJ, Wand PJ, Laventure M, Vergeront JM: Toxic shock syndrome: A critique of the 1980 Wisconsin case-control study.Ann Intern Med 96:892–894, 1982.\nKehrberg MW, Latham RH, Haslam BT, Hightower A, Tanner M, Jacobson JA, Barbour AG, Noble V, Smith CB: Risk factors for staphylococcal toxic-shock syndrome.Am J Epidemiol 114:873–879, 1981.\nHelgerson SD, Foster LR: Toxic shock syndrome in Oregon: Epidemiologic findings.Ann Intern Med 96:909–911, 1982.\nIrwin CE, Millstein SG: Emerging patterns of tampon use in the adolescent female: The impact of toxic shock syndrome.Am J Public Health 72:464–467, 1982.\nAuthor information\nAuthors and Affiliations\nAdditional information\nKaren Lamb, R.N., Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Nancy Berg, B.A. is Coordinator of the Uihlein Family Health Project, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226\nThis research, and the Data Registry, are partially supported through a philanthropic award from GeorgAnna and Joseph Uihlein, Jr. to the Medical College of Wisconsin.\nRights and permissions\nAbout this article\nCite this article\nLamb, K., Berg, N. Tampon use in women with endometriosis. J Community Health 10, 215–225 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01371015\nIssue date:\nDOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01371015","source_license":"CC0","license_restricted":false}