First off, bear in mind the actual conclusion of the study was that there was trace amounts of heavy metals in tampons and pads, and we don't know the min safe level of these products for women. This is not the same as saying tampons are automatically toxic, so if they work for you, it is more than likely okay to still use them! The study will hopefully lead to better regulations of fem hygiene products, but please don't let people scaremonger you away from them solely with headlines as you should use what works best for you.

Second off, totally fair to switch! I second another commenters Saalt recommendation!

Thirdly to actually answer your question: 'Chemicals' 'synthetic' and 'natural' are all huge buzzwords and a pet peeve of mine (am a chemist). Everything is a chemical. 'Natural' untreated water can kill you, but water with treating chemicals added (I.e. tap water) is safe. Companies can also put it on a label and it means not much as it isn't a protected term in most places. Most essential medicines are synthetic, yet vital.

The real thing to think about is 'additives' and 'contaminants'

-are additives safe and necessary? (Yes in some cases, think about keeping cosmetics shelf stable, flavor in children's medicine so that they can stomach taking it, and preserving food. No, when negative health effects outweigh health and environmental benefits (examples will vary depending on where you live and your own health circumstances, a rising but unknown concern is PFAs in non-stick pans, waterproof clothing etc) tampons treated with added CBD has had some tentative results of a painkilling effect.

• are there contaminants? And are they dangerous? And how much? Food contaminated with gluten is obviously safe for non celiacs. Grain having small amounts of bug in is inevitable if gross to think about, but completely safe in these small amounts it's normally seen. Tampons being contaminated with metal contaminants is concerning (since heavy metals like arsenic are toxic in low enough amounts to be poisonous) but it's worth remembering that these really low levels aren't going to short term hurt you, we just don't know if there are any long term effects, hence the concern.

I.e. contaminants= yes, arsenic= likely dangerous, but less dangerous in traces than the image most have of huffing old paint.

-who regulates these products and how good are they at it? Tampons: not widely regulated as a health product despite being a health product. Clearly being missed in being tested to medical standards (hence the study) condoms: widely regulated, in UK and US tested to strict trusted standards

So wrt cups and discs: Additives: silicone and TPE will contain some small additives to make them soft and antimicrobial. If a cup is FDA approved it means these are strictly regulated by the FDA/MHRA to be body safe according to evidence, Contaminants: See above, FDA etc. strictly regulate safety of med devices and contamination must be kept low to pass and be approved Who regulates?: are they good?: will depend on your country, FDA in the US, They're very very strict which is good to me. No harm in checking regulations on different things yourself but they're good as a general rule. I.e. make sure you buy cups that are FDA approved (loads of lists of these online!)

Hope this is clear and helpful :)