You may have heard of the term toxic shock syndrome (TSS) somewhere, and its link to the usage of tampons. But how well do you understand the potential risks and symptoms of this illness?

Although extremely rare, toxic shock syndrome is a type of blood poisoning that is potentially serious. TSS can affect people of all ages, males and females. However, it commonly occurs in menstruating women who use high absorbency tampons. Non-menstrual TSS incidences are also seen in women who use vaginal barrier contraceptive methods, though this is much rarer.