4 Pcge 2 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 22, 1986 HEALTH& FITNESS Toxic shock risk prompts tampon ratings By ALINE LEVANEN Tampon manufacturers will soon be required to adopt a uniform numerical rating system to describe the absorbency of their products, ac- cording to a University nursing professor whose research on toxic shock syndrome spurred the new Federal Drug Administration requirement. Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a sometimes fatal disease linked to tampon use, was thought to have disappeared with the removal of Rely brand tampons from the market in 1980. But Prof. Nancy Reame, a leading consumer activist for tampon safety, says TSS remains a serious health concern for women. When health officials first publicly announced the TSS threat, women were told to avoid high-absorbency products to reduce their risks of con- tracting the disease. But Reame has since proved the futility of this war- e ime tapp New formulas for cold /allergy relief ' - . OF COLD AND ALLERGY SYMPTOMSN -NASAL CONGESTION I 'N -SNEEZING-RUNNING NOSE ITCHY WATEREEYES 12 TABLETS Extended Action Tablets GRAT GRAPE TASTE IVI TEMPORARY RELEF OF COLD AND , - -.* ALLERGY SYMPTOMS NASAL CONGESTION -= RUNNING NOSE ITCHY.YWATERYCEYES SNEEZING OCOLD AND SYMPTOMS " NASAL CONGESTION SNEEZING - RUNNING NOSE 24 TABLETS 4 oz. Liquid 24 Tablets AVAILABLE NOW WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION AT YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY ning. "This recommendation is ineffective because women still don't know what they're buying," she says. "There's no way to tell absorbency from the labeling on the tampon package. "MY study found that tampons with the same size designations vary widely in absorbency from one brand to another, making it impossible for a consumer to determine absorbency from the package label," Reame ex- plains. "Some brands of Regulars are more absorbent than other brands labeled Super, or Super Plus. Because current labeling is insufficient for comparing absorbency across bran- ds, women who wish to avoid high ab- sorbency tampons because of the risk of toxic shock will find it very difficult to do so." As a result of her study, Reame says the FDA has switched from a dip immersion test to measure tampon absorbency to a syngyna-saline test. The syngyna test proved a more reliable method for rating tampon absorbency. The new FDA absorbency rating will be similar to the numerical ratings currently used for suntan lotions. Although the reported number of toxic shock cases has dropped by more than 70 percent since first iden- tified publicly with Rely tampons in 1980, officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta believe the disease is under-reported. TSS has also recently been linked to the use of contraceptive sponges. CDC will conduct a multi-state study this year to determine more ac- curately how often the illness occurs. "We estimate we are getting only 10 percent of the cases," says Seth Berkley, a CDC epidemiologist. "Certainly there is a lot of toxic shock that still occurs. It continues to be a serious problem," Berkley says. Increased awareness of the disease and improved treatment methods dropped the TSS mortality rate from 8.9 percent in 1979 to 2.7 percent in 1984. Yet there is still no laboratory test for the staphylococcus aureus, an in- fectious bacterium, that produces a deadly toxin which develops in the high absorbency synthetic fibers of tampons. TSS cases must be diagnosed sym- ptomatically, and some doctors are unable to detect it, says Berkley. Commonly perceived as a tampon- related disease, both sexes have con- tracted TSS through surgical in- cisions, abrasions, and insect bites. The disease is rare in males, however, and no deaths have been reported. "The syndrome was recently repor- ted in a man who underwent nasal surgery for which a super absorbent material was used as a surgical packing," notes Reame. Berkley estimates more than 95 percent of the population has been exposed to and shows antibodies for the toxin by age 20. The remaining 5 percent are at risk of contracting the disease. CDC criteria for diagnosing TSS in- clude these symptoms: "A fever of 102 or greater; eA sunburn-like rash; eLow blood pressure or dizziness when standing; oPeeling skin on fingertips and feet one to two weeks after onset; *Abnormalities in at least three organ systems; *No sign of any other diseases. DANNON* YOGURT ,1 .4~i ~ WHITE MARKET IF f p PALA! TREE RESTAURANT Authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine Featuring: " hommos, tabouli * Iamb shishkebob * falafel * homemade frozen yogurt plus a large variety of other health foods EVERYTHING FRESH MADE (no preservatives) 216 S. Fourth Ave. Open: Ann Arbor Mon-Thur. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 662.2642 Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-lo p.m. 5 minute walk from central campus IN BRIEF COMPILED FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS White S. African industrialists call for end to apartheid JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - White South African industrialists called for an end to apartheid in an effort to re-establish confidence in the nation's economy yesterday as the inflation rate hit a 64-year high. Central Statistical Services, a government information agency, said the inflation rate jumped to 18.4 percent in December. That was 1.4 per- cent more than the previous month and almost double the rate of two years ago. The Federated Chamber of Industries, the country's largest employer alliance, said in a statement that political rights and freedoms should be extended to all races. The group called on the government to create a climate for negotiation by releasing all political prisoners, abolishing discriminatory laws and permitting blacks to work and live wherever their skills and wealth allow and to share in governmental power. But the "rights of minorities" should be protected, the statement said. "Business hopes to play an important catalytic role" in getting talks started, the chamber said. "What is now needed to restore credibility and confidence in South Africa is a realistic and visible program, both of political reform and economic reconstruction." U.S. mayors say more need emergency food and shelter WASHINGTON - Demands for emergency food and shelter rose shar- ply in selected cities last year, and in many cases hungry and homeless people were turned away because there wasn't enough to go around, the U.S. Conference of Mayors said yesterday. A survey of officials in 25 cities in the United States and Puerto Rico said that in nearly all the cities the national economic recovery has failed to ease local poverty problems. "Low benefits in public assistance programs, poverty and unem- ployment problems lead the list of reasons for the persistence of hunger," said the report by the conference's task force on hunger and homeless, headed by Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn. The mayors reported demand for emergency food rose on average 28 percent in the cities during 1985, and that in all but two of the cities there was an increase in the number of families requesting emergency food. Walesa faces slander charges WARSAW, Poland - Solidarity trade union founder Lech Walesa will be placed on trial for challenging the official voter turnout figures in Polish parliamentary elections last October, a government spokesman said yesterday. "The investigation is ended," spokesman Jerzy Urban said in response to a quesion at his weekly news conference. "It is now being discussed which court should handle the trial. Then the date will be set." Walesa, winner of the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize, is formally charged with slander. If convicted, he could be jailed for as long as two years. "The slander case is now under the supervision of the courts. This means the trial will take place," Urban said. Walesa, who led the 1980 strikes that led to the 'creation of the non- outlawed Solidarity union, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc, had called for a boycott of the election because communist authorities controlled the selection of candidates for the 460 seats in seim, the Polish parliament. Car bomb kills 25 in Beirut BEIRUT, Lebanon - A powerful car bomb apparently planted to protest Christian opposition to a Lebanese peace accord blew up outside a Christian Phalange Party office yesterday, killing at least 25 people and wounding more than 125 others. The driver of the Mercedes sedan jumped out of the car and fled just before the roughly 660 pounds of explosives packed inside the vehicle ex- ploded at noon in the crowded Furn El Shebak neighborhood of Christian east Beirut. The explosion sparked a ball of fire that engulfed an intersection and nearby shops and apartment houses. An army jeep carrying three soldiers was torn apart by the blast. Hundreds of cars were caught in a traffic jam. Police said at least 25 people were killed and more than 125 others were wounded. The blast destroyed 30 vehicles and severely damaged eight multistory buildings. Rebels gain in South Yemen ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Hardline Marxist rebels bat- tling for control of South Yemen gained ground against government for- ces yesterday in new fighting that hampered efforts to evacuate Wester- ners trapped in the corpse-strewn capital. Rear Adm. John Garnier, aboard Queen Elizabeth II's yacht Britannia off the shores of the capital city of Aden, reported to London by radio that "fighting is still going on" and Aden had suffered "an incredible amount of damage." Western and Middle Eastern evacuees said the streets of Aden were lit- tered with corpses and burned-out cars, trucks and buses. Water and power lines have been cut and the airport was destroyed in the civil war, which began Jan. 13. The evacuees described Aden as a "ghost town." As many as 10,000 people might have died in the war, the Cairo newspaper Al Ahram said. 0 0 0 609 E. William 663-4253 Hours: M-F 8-7 Sat. 8-6 0 moomd 1Ihe Michigan Bail Vol XCVI -No. 79 The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967 X) is published Monday through Friday during the Fall and Winter terms. Subscription rates: September through April - $18.00 in Ann Arbor; $35.00 outside the city. One term - $10.00 in town; $20.00 out of town. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and Sub- scribes to United Press International, Pacific News Service, Los.Angeles Times Syndicate, and College Press Service. great look deserver anoth Come to Hair Emprei during our Grand Opening and get a great haircut along with a card to get your next haircut FREEI Editor in Chief................NEIL CHASE Opinion Page Editors..........JODY BECKER JOSEPH KRAUS Managing Editors...GEORGEA KOVANIS JACKIE YOUNG News Editor .............. THOMAS MILLER Features Editor........... LAURIE DELATER City Editor ...............ANDREW ERIKSEN Personnel Editor........... TRACEY MILLER NEWS STAFF: Eve Becker, Melissa Birks, Laura Bischoff, Rebecca Blumenstein, Joanne Cannella, Philip Chidel, Dov Cohen, Kysa Connett, Tim Daly, Nancy Driscoll, Rob Earle, Rachel Gottlieb, Stephen Gregory, Linda Holler, Mary Chris Jakelevic, Vibeke Laroi, Michael Lustig, .Jerry Markon, Eric Mattson, Amy Mindell, Kery Mura- kami, Jill Oserowsky, Joe Pigott, Christy Riedel, Michael Sherman, Jennifer Smith, Jeff Widman. Cheryl Wistrom. Associate Opinion Page Editor .. KAREN KLEIN OPINION PAGE STAFF: Gayle Kirshenbaum, Chief Photographer.............. DAN HABIB PHOTO STAFF: Jae Kim, Scott Lituchy, John Munson, Matt Petrie,.Dean Randazzo, Andi Schreiber, Darrian Smith. Sports Editor ................. TOM KEANEY Associate Sports Editors..........JOE EWING BARB McQUADE, ADAM MARTIN, PHIL NUSSEL, STEVE WISE SPORTS STAFF: Dave Aretha,Mark Borowsky, Debbie deFrances, Liam Flaherty, Steve Green- baum, Rachel Goldman, Jon Hartmann, Darren Jasey, Phil Johnson, Rick Kaplan, Christian Mar- tin, Scott Miller, Greg Molzon, Brad Morgan, Jerry Muth, Adam Ochlis, Chris Parker, Mike Redstone,Duane Roose, Jeff Rush, Scott Shaffer,. Pete Steinert, Douglas Volan. Business Manager.........DAWN WILLACKER Display Sales Manger .......CYNTHIA NIXON Assistant Sales Manager.. KATHLEEN O'BRIEN Classified Manager ......GAYLA BROCKMAN Finance Manager... . .. ... MIKE BAUGHMAN Marketing Manager ........... JAKE GAGNON f w