Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Yes.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin has experienced five cases of toxic shock syndrome since July 2022 — the largest amount of cases reported in over a decade.
Toxic shock syndrome, or TSS, is a rare, serious illness resulting from certain types of bacterial infections. It can affect any individual and be caused by the use of tampons, surgery and skin wounds.
Four of Wisconsin’s cases were linked to super-absorbent tampon usage in teenage females. In an average year, Wisconsin records one or zero TSS cases. There have been no reported deaths.
Symptoms include sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, muscle aches, low blood pressure and shock with multi-organ dysfunction.
State Health Officer Paula Tran instructed, “It’s important for those who use tampons to use the lowest absorbency, change their tampon every 4-6 hours, and avoid using tampons overnight.”
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Department Of Health Services: DHS Monitoring Increase in Toxic Shock Syndrome Cases
Mayo Clinic: Toxic shock syndrome
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
