In 1978, a connection was found between Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus -- leading to the realization that tampons had generated a technologically rooted health crisis. In an essay in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, the concept of “biologically incompatible technology” is introduced to explain the relationship between constituent bacteria, women’s menstrual cycles, and a reactive technology that converged to create the ideal environment for the S. aureus bacteria to live and flourish.
“Biologically incompatible technology” essentially refers to the idea that certain innovations may not be primarily deadly or harmful to humans, but have the potential to produce other biological harm through their use. The essay suggests that it is therefore not enough for scientists and designers to consider just the human body, but rather that a core question in the design of medical technologies must also be “how will this object interact with bacterial constituents?”
According to the article:
“This is a story as much about technology as it is a bacterium and assumptions drawn based upon limited information to users and non-users of technology. Though pamphlets inserted into boxes are supposed to explain all this, they often seem more about liability instead of risk. It is exactly the type of risk that needs further explanation. TSS is rare, and more importantly, S. aureus has preferred conditions in which it is more likely to flourish, and this is with a synthetic, super absorbent tampon. Overall, the important message is to understand the multiple variables involved and that tampons and constituent bacteria are active agents within the human body.”