The Legacy of Tampon-Related Toxic Shock Syndrome: Feats, Failures, and Future Challenges for Women’s Health Scholars

AbstractThis article is a comment on Olesen’s (1986) article “Analyzing Emergent Issues in Women’s Health: The Case of the Toxic Shock Syndrome,” which is reprinted in this issue. Here I reminisce about my own research and advocacy regarding tampon absorbency in the 1980s, consider how the culture has changed as well as reasons why we have not made the necessary progress to safeguard women from toxic shock syndrome, and consider new consumer products (e.g., tampon-style products to control urinary leakage) that may become an emergent issue in women’s health. I end with suggestions for steps US-based activists can take to move this work forward.