Attention moms! A very common hygiene product that you most likely have inside your home right at this very moment is believed to be toxic and carcinogenic. That’s right, talcum-based powders.
Almost every one of us at some point in our lives, especially during our infant days, have used this seemingly harmless product in our daily hygiene regimen. Mothers, especially, unknowingly use this baby product in their freshening up routines for baby care.
Also, it has been a common and prevalent practice for women to use baby powder in their daily regimen of keeping their intimate areas clean and fresh.
Little did we know that this particular product can cause severe complications and diseases, such as the development of ovarian cancer in women exposed to excessive use of talcum powder.
An estimated 20,000 American women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and about 14,500 die from it annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Research and History
In as early as 1971, researchers have found a possible link between the use of talcum-based powders on women’s genitals and ovarian cancers. This was due to the discovery of talcum particles in the ovarian tumors.
British researchers found that out of the 13 ovarian tumors, 10 of the tumors have “deeply embedded” talc particles in them. This was one of the first studies to suggest the correlation between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer.
More recently, a 2015 research study suggested that women who use this powder in their intimate areas are 33 percent more likely to develop ovarian cancer compared to a similarly numbered control group who do not use talcum powder in their genital areas.
Controversy and Lawsuits
A Talcum Powder Lawsuit may be brought to court by women suffering from epithelial ovarian cancer whose cause is believed to be due to a long history of talcum powder use for genital hygiene.
In 2016, a case that shook the whole world was decided, finding Johnson & Johnson liable for damages amounting to over $72 million.
The woman who was the victim of ovarian cancer died 4 months before the verdict. She claimed that she has been using Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder since her early teenage years for hygienic purposes.
As of today, more than 9,000 lawsuits have been filed against the corporation. Just last year, the corporate giant Johnson & Johnson was adjudged to pay $4.7 billion in damages for several baby powder lawsuits filed against it.
What we can do about it
Finding the best brand of talcum powder is something new mothers should research.
More and more moms are now considering avoiding the use of talcum-based baby powder on their babies. Also, women are now more skeptical about the harmful effects of using baby powder in their intimate areas.
A good alternative, experts suggest, is to switch to using cornstarch-based baby powders. There is, as of the moment, no harmful side effects proven to be caused by using the cornstarch substitute.
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