Chaos in the Sanitary Napkin Market Regarding "Grade" Labels
In recent years, the sanitary napkin market has seen a proliferation of labels using terms like "medical grade," "medical-grade," "special care grade," and "disinfectant grade," leaving many consumers confused. However, these so-called "higher-grade" claims do not necessarily equate to greater safety. Furthermore, it's important to note that medical-grade certification has been abolished, and a group standard for special care grade is currently being developed.
Information regarding healthcare-level certification
(I) The introduction and basis of medical and nursing level certification
According to Zhongwei An, since its launch in 2018, the medical-grade certification has been conducted by the organization based on the group standard "T/NAHIEM 003-2017 Medical-grade sanitary napkins (including panty liners)" to certify products from domestic companies.
(II) Prohibition of use of medical-grade certification
However, in August 2025, the Certification and Accreditation Supervision and Management Department of the State Administration for Market Regulation held a meeting and pointed out that certification names such as "medical-grade" were being used inappropriately. The meeting prohibited the use of graded names such as "medical-grade" for certification promotion and required relevant companies to adjust their product packaging.
According to a representative from Zhongwei'an, after consultation with the relevant authorities, the organization renamed its "Medical-grade Certification" to "Special Care Product Certification," with the standards and details being identical for both. The organization also applied for a one-year transition period (until August 2026), during which time companies can continue to use their existing packaging to advertise "Medical-grade."
(IV) Brand's response to the certification name change
Several sanitary napkin brands told reporters that in August 2025, they received a notification from China Health Care Insurance Co., Ltd. that the certification for medical-grade products would be changed to certification for special care products.
(V) Current Status of Medical and Nursing Level Related Group Standards
It's worth noting that the term "medical-grade sanitary napkins" originates from the group standard "T/NAHIEM 003-2017 Medical-grade Sanitary Napkins (including panty liners)," published by the China National Health Industry Enterprise Management Association on October 18, 2017, on its group standard information platform.
China Health Safety Group stated that certification bodies can conduct certification activities based on national standards, industry standards, group standards, or their own established certification standards. Currently, the medical-grade group standard still exists, but medical-grade certification based on it is no longer used.
Special care product certification and related standards
Currently, the certification for special care products is based on the certification standards independently developed by Zhongwei An, which is a certification center-level certification. The certification fee is approximately 50,000 yuan per company, determined by the organization and published on its official website. Sources close to the National Health Industry Enterprise Management Association stated that group standards for special care hygiene products are currently under development.
"Medical-grade sanitary napkins" is a false concept.
(I) There is no official classification for "medical-grade sanitary napkins".
Among the many "grade" labels, "medical-grade sanitary napkins" is the most misleading to consumers. A reporter browsing e-commerce platforms found that many generic drug companies advertise their sanitary napkins as "medical-grade sanitary napkins." In reality, my country does not have an official product classification for "medical-grade sanitary napkins," and the current "Medical Device Classification Catalog" does not include the product name "medical sanitary napkins."
(II) Standardized Expressions and Related Explanations
The compliant term is "medical nursing pad," which falls under the category of medical devices. According to the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices," medical nursing pads are divided into Class I and Class II medical devices. An industry insider pointed out that medical nursing pads emphasize sterility and biocompatibility, making them suitable for medical settings such as hospitals and pharmacies, a completely different positioning from consumer products.
Updates to national standards related to sanitary napkins
(I) New national standard for sanitary napkins (panty liners) published
It is worth noting that with the implementation of the new national standard, the safety indicators of ordinary sanitary napkins have been significantly improved. In January 2026, the new national standard for sanitary napkins (panty liners) (GB/T 8939-2025) was officially released and is scheduled to be implemented on January 1, 2027. Compared with the old national standard, the new national standard has tightened the requirements for overall length deviation, strip quality deviation, pH value, formaldehyde and absorption rate. At the same time, it has added chemical safety indicators such as plasticizers, heavy metals, and decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes, with many indicators aligning with the standards for infant and toddler products.
(II) Legal Classification and Standards of Sanitary Napkins
In fact, at the national standard level, sanitary napkins are legally classified only into "ordinary grade" and "sterilized grade." On June 25, 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Management Committee) issued Announcement No. 12 of 2024, approving the "Hygienic Requirements for Disposable Sanitary Products" (GB 15979-2024) to replace the "Hygienic Standard for Disposable Sanitary Products" (GB 15979-2002), which came into effect on July 1, 2025. The scope of "disposable sanitary products" in this standard includes menstrual hygiene products for women, and classifies them into "ordinary grade" and "sterilized grade."
(III) Difference between ordinary grade and disinfection grade
The main difference between the two lies in their microbiological indicators: Ordinary-grade sanitary napkins have a total bacterial count ≤200 CFU/g (colony-forming units) and a total fungal count ≤100 CFU/g; disinfected-grade sanitary napkins have a total bacterial count ≤20 CFU/g and no detectable fungal count. Disinfected-grade products should also be labeled "disinfected-grade" on their packaging, specifying the type of microorganisms killed or inhibited, the disinfection method, and the disinfection date. It is important to emphasize that the safety ranking of sanitary napkins is based on marketing rhetoric and has no official basis. The new national standard does not align with any marketing "level"; its core purpose is to raise the safety baseline of the civilian sanitary napkin market.
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Sanitary napkin purchasing advice Therefore, the key to rationally choosing sanitary napkins is to focus on national standards, production qualifications, and product testing reports, rather than being misled by various "level" concepts. In this context, 『softlove medical pads』, as a certified product, strictly adheres to the national Class I medical device standard, making them safe for daily use. In medical settings, however, medical care pads with a medical device registration certificate should be chosen according to a doctor's advice. Returning to standards and the product itself is the true guarantee of safety and health. |
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