By Inside Politics Reporter
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has reassured South Africans that sanitary pads and panty liners will remain on shelves despite a recent University of the Free State study detecting small traces of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in tested samples.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, Motsoaledi said the findings did not prove clinical harm and did not warrant any change in consumer use.
ALSO READ: Motsoaledi says no need to pull sanitary pads from shelves after UFS chemical study
He emphasized that consultations with scientists, clinicians, regulators, and United Nations agencies, including the World Health Organisation, concluded that the presence of EDCs in menstrual products is not new and poses no proven health risk.
“EDCs in sanitary pads do not translate into harm in the human body,” Motsoaledi stated, adding that the chemicals are ubiquitous in everyday environments and products.
The UFS study, published on 25 February, tested 16 sanitary pads and seven panty-liners bought online. While researchers noted menstrual products may be an overlooked source of chemical exposure, they cautioned that the study was not designed to establish a direct causal link to disease.
Motsoaledi highlighted that over 20 scientific publications worldwide have examined EDCs in menstrual products, none of which demonstrated clinical harm. Regulators, he said, will continue surveillance while scientists pursue further research.