TSS – Toxic Shock Syndrome

What is TSS?

TSS - Toxic shock syndrome is an infection caused by bacteria entering through wounds or mucus membrane. 

TSS Symptoms include: 

sudden high fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, a rash that resembles sunburn, dizziness, muscle aches, fainting or blackouts.

TSS is an extremely rare, but potentially fatal disease and can occur in men, women and children. As the majority of reported cases occur in young girls and women under 30, TSS is associated with high-absorbency tampon use. Early recognition and cure are of vital importance, so if you have some of the above-mentioned symptoms, remove the menstrual cup at once, contact your doctor and tell him or her about the possibility of TSS.

TSS and Menstrual Cups

Keep in mind that it is scientifically proven that menstrual cups don’t change the composition of blood during the time the cup is kept inside the vagina. There are no reported cases of TSS in connection with use of menstrual cups since the cups were invented in the 1930's.

The Lunette menstrual cups hold 25 ml (size 1) or 30 ml (size 2). As a comparison, a tampon that absorbs this amount (25 to 30 grams) is dangerous and even illegal in some countries, because of the risk of TSS.

 If you are interested in reading more about tampons and TSS, please see the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) website.

The absorbency rates and terms used above are regulated by the FDA.

Interested in reading more about TSS? Visit this website for more information:

You ARE Loved

Lisa Elifritz lost her 20 year old daughter Amy Rae Elifritz to tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) on June 13, 2010. From that time on, Lisa has been committed to doing everything possible to raise awareness. In 2011, she founded the non-profit organization You ARE Loved. As of June 2011, the organization has already reached tens of thousands of people through face-to-face educational programs and online awareness initiatives.

You ARE Loved is committed to raising awareness of tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and providing factual information about menstruation.