Disposable pads and tampons are bleached to give the illusion that they are sterile, clean and therefore safer. Fibers used in manufacturing pads and tampons are not naturally white, the bleaching process give it that white look. The whiter they are the more chemicals.

Disposable menstrual products release a chemical called Dioxin. Released during the bleaching process, Dioxin is the most toxic chemical known to humans. Even though manufacturers now use bleach that does not contain Chlorine, Dioxin is still given off through "offgassing". Dioxin causes cancer, birth defects, developmental delays, ulcers in the skin, autoimmune disorders. These side effects were rarely heard of or seen 60-80 years ago when women mostly used cloth pads. In addition to the effects of chemicals mentioned, the chemicals also cause Toxic Shock Syndrome, endometriosis, cause bleeding to be heavier and longer, minor to severe cramping, irritation, allergic reactions. Disposable menstrual products cause increased yeast infections and the vagina to dry out.

Cloth pads soak up the blood, but do not affect the balance of fluids and PH of the vagina. The pads keep blood away from your skin without leaving that slimy feeling you get from a damp plastic pad. They do not crinkle when changing, in fact nobody would ever be able to tell you were changing one unless you told them. Cloth is economical saving you thousands of dollars and environmentally safer reducing thousands of dirty pads and tampons sitting in landfills contaminating our water. Cloth menstrual pads use fewer natural resources to make and do not give off harmful chemicals into the air around us.

Resource Links Wikipedia Article http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/clothpads/FAQ.html