"America's #1 condom" is under fire over claims that they contain toxic "forever chemicals" and are unfit for their intended purpose.
The claims have been put forward by plaintiff Matthew Goodman in a proposed class action lawsuit filed in Manhattan on Monday against manufacturing company Church & Dwight. Goodman said that independent lab testing of the Trojan Ultra-Thin condoms revealed the presence of organic fluorine, which is a possible indicator of forever chemicals.
PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are a class of chemicals that can be found in a range of everyday products, from toilet paper to food packaging, cosmetics and dental floss. Nicknamed forever chemicals, these compounds break down very slowly over time and stick around in their surrounding environment.
The widespread nature of these chemicals is concerning as numerous studies have found associations between PFAS exposure and increased blood cholesterol and blood pressure, reduced immunity, reproductive issues and an increased risk of certain cancers, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports.
However, while these chemicals have been found to pass through human skin, exactly how much of a risk they pose is not entirely clear. Even so, it is these fears that form the basis of Goodman's case.
According to the lawsuit, Goodman bought a packet of these condoms before becoming aware of their potential PFAS content.
"Based on the label, he [Goodman] reasonably believed the product was safe for use on his genitalia," the complaint said. "Had defendant disclosed on the label that the products contained PFAS chemicals, and the harms that can result from contact with PFAS chemicals, he would not have purchased the products, or at the very least, would have only been willing to pay significantly less."
The complaint seeks at least $5 million in damages from Church & Dwight for purchasers of Trojan condoms across the country. Newsweek contacted Church & Dwight for comment via email.
But who is the "independent lab" that found the organic fluoride in the condoms in the first place?
On February 6 earlier this year, advocacy blog Mamavation conducted a study into the presence of PFAS in common condom and lubricant brands across the U.S. The group sent 29 different condoms and lubricants on the market today to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for "indications" of PFAS. Specifically, they were testing for the presence of organic fluoride—an element found in all PFAS molecules. However, fluorine can be found in other molecules too, which may or may not indicate the presence of PFAS.
"It's like saying rectangles are a marker for squares because all squares are also rectangles," Andrea Love, an immunologist, microbiologist and science communicator, told Newsweek. "There are LOTS of other chemicals that are not PFAS that have organic fluorine (C-F bonds). For example, several medications have organic fluorine in them, like fluoxetine (prozac), atorvastatin (lipitor), fluticason (flonase). Many commonly used anesthetics contain organic fluorine, etc."
Love added that grouping all PFAS together was also misleading: "PFAS is a class of chemicals containing thousands of different substances. Some might pose a risk to people at certain exposures, but saying they're all 'bad' is like saying all mushrooms are bad. Many PFAS do not pose risks to human health, and also contain organic fluorine, like Teflon (PTFE).
"[Mamavation] even say in their summary: 'Scott Belcher, Ph.D. & Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University says 'fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are extremely common forms of PFAS that could be contributing to the organic fluorine found in condoms & lubricants.'"
In the study, 14 percent of the products tested contained organic fluorine above 10 parts per million (ppm), with one of the Trojan Ultra-Thin condoms containing 13ppm of organic fluorine. However, many of the other Trojan condoms tested, including Ecstasy Ultra Ribbed and Magnum Large, showed no detection of organic fluorine.
Mamavation have called for the removal of PFAS from intimate products, but should we be concerned by their results? "The answer is NO, this is not something to be concerned about," Love said. "They didn't actually detect PFAS of any type specifically, and even if they did detect PFAS, you have to be more specific when discussing exposure. You can't add up total PFAS and say they're the same."
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