14-year-old Girl Dies After Using a Tampon for the first time

An aspiring West End star was killed after using her first tampon and suffering toxic shock syndrome, her distraught family has revealed.

Talented 14-year-old Natasha Scott-Falber died on Valentine's Day just a few days after using the product for the first time.

Before now, her horrified relatives believed she died as a result of blood poisoning, but following a post-mortem and toxic tests, medical investigations recently revealed Natasha died as a direct result of toxic shock syndrome.

Toxic shock syndrome is a bacterial infection caused when usually harmless Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus bacteria, which live on the skin, invade the bloodstream and produce dangerous toxins. The infection causes a sudden high fever and a massive drop in blood pressure.

The family of the tragic teen have launched a campaign to raise awareness about the condition, so others can spot the signs earlier. They said:

“Natasha died of toxic shock syndrome the first time that she used tampons. Generally speaking, it is accepted knowledge that leaving a tampon in for too long can cause toxic shock syndrome. In Natasha’s case, she followed all of the instructions and used the tampon correctly; it was simply the introduction of the tampon into her body which caused toxic shock syndrome to take effect.”