Kimberly-Clark, the parent company of U by Kotex, has issued a voluntary tampon recall of U by Kotex Sleek Tampons, Regular Absorbency. It isn’t an expiration issue, but a quality-related “defect.”
Some consumers using these tampons reported that they unraveled or came apart upon removal, according to a company press release.
In some cases, women had to seek medical attention to remove pieces of tampon left in the body, Kimberly-Clark reports.
In addition, a “small number” of consumers reported infections, “localized vaginal injury,” irritation and other symptoms after using these U by Kotex Sleek Tampons.
No other U by Kotex branded products are being recalled.
A Kimberly-Clark spokesperson could not release specifics on the number of consumers affected by this recall.
When navigating to the U by Kotex website, a notice about the tampon recall currently lines the top of the homepage. The official U by Kotex Twitter account also shared the following message:
We announced today a voluntary recall of U by Kotex® Sleek® Tampons, Regular Absorbency sold in the U.S. & Canada for a quality-related defect that could impact the product performance. For info, please read our FAQs: https://t.co/pfxDrBNqdh or contact us: https://t.co/yrTD0FyV37
— U by Kotex (@ubykotex) December 11, 2018
Tampon recall: Affected U by Kotex Sleek Tampons, Regular Absorbency
Specific U by Kotex Sleek Tampons, Regular Absorbency products affected by this tampon recall were manufactured between October 7, 2016 and October 16, 2018 and distributed between October 17, 2016 and October 23, 2018. They were sold in U.S. and Canadian stores.
Three-count, 18-count and 34-count packages, as well as 34-count multipacks containing 17 U by Kotex Sleek Tampons, Regular Absorbency products are subject to the recall.
Recalled lot numbers can be found on the Kimberly-Clark website, and if you aren’t sure if your package of tampons are affected, you can check the lot number on U by Kotex’s recall page.
“The safety of our consumers is our top priority,” reads a statement on the company’s site. “We are putting systems in place to prevent the occurrence of similar issues in the future.”
Kimberly-Clark says that retailers have been alerted to remove the products affected by this tampon recall.
Tampon recall: What should consumers do?
Kimberly-Clark says that there is “no need” to return products, and anyone with recalled items should throw them away.
If you use these tampons and experience vaginal pain, bleeding, discomfort, irritation or any infections (such as bladder or yeast infections) contact your doctor immediately. Other symptoms you should be wary of include hot flashes, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
You can contact Kimberly-Clark’s Consumer Service team for more information, or report problems to the FDA by filling out the agency’s online MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form.
The Kimberly-Clark spokesperson would not comment on whether or not consumers with affected tampon packages will receive refunds. However, she did send Metro the following statement:
“We announced a voluntary product recall of its U by Kotex® Sleek® Tampons, Regular Absorbency, sold throughout the U.S. and Canada for a quality-related defect that could impact the performance of this product. The recall is limited to specific products that were manufactured between October 7, 2016 and October 16, 2018 and distributed between October 17, 2016 and October 23, 2018. Consumers can identify this product by looking for specific lot numbers found on the bottom of the package and verifying it with a lot number checker on the U by Kotex® website.
“As stated in our release, there have been a small number of reports of infections, vaginal irritation, localized vaginal injury, and other symptoms. Any consumer with the impacted U by Kotex® Sleek® Tampons, Regular Absorbency, in their possession should stop using the product immediately and promptly contact Kimberly-Clark’s Consumer Service team at 1-888-255-3499 between 7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, for information regarding this recall.”
