More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes
Despite routine law enforcement use of chemical agents for crowd control, the reproductive health safety profiles of these products are unknown. Moreover, limited evidence has documented a link between such exposures and adverse reproductive health outcomes including abnormal uterine bleeding and po...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Epidemiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1177874/full |
| _version_ | 1797270781882793984 |
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| author | Asha Hassan Asha Hassan Alison Ojanen-Goldsmith Anna K. Hing Madeline Mahoney Sarah Traxler Christy M. Boraas Christy M. Boraas |
| author_facet | Asha Hassan Asha Hassan Alison Ojanen-Goldsmith Anna K. Hing Madeline Mahoney Sarah Traxler Christy M. Boraas Christy M. Boraas |
| author_sort | Asha Hassan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite routine law enforcement use of chemical agents for crowd control, the reproductive health safety profiles of these products are unknown. Moreover, limited evidence has documented a link between such exposures and adverse reproductive health outcomes including abnormal uterine bleeding and potential pregnancy disruption. This cross-sectional study examined reproductive outcomes in adults with uteri exposed to chemical agents used by law enforcement, more commonly known as “tear gas”. Participants were recruited through social media in the wake of police violence protests. Of the 1,276 participants included in analysis, 83% reported experiencing at least one of the outcomes of interest, included uterine cramping (69%), early menstrual bleeding (55%), breast tenderness (30%), and delayed menstrual bleeding (19%). Chemical agent exposure was significantly associated with higher odds of an adverse reproductive health outcome, those with 5 days or more of exposure have 2.6 times the odds (CI: 1.61, 4.22) of adverse outcomes and having a perception that one's menstruation may fluctuate according to psychosocial stressors was associated (OR = 1.94, CI: 1.36, 2.79) with a higher odds of an adverse reproductive health experience. These findings suggest a potential relationship between exposure to chemical agents and adverse reproductive health outcomes. Given the pervasive use of these chemical agents and their potential for reproductive health harm, further investigation into the safety of these products and their impacts on individual and community health is warranted urgently. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:39:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-89d3fc1ca32e4db4842c09f6b6bb67b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2674-1199 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:09:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Epidemiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-89d3fc1ca32e4db4842c09f6b6bb67b42024-03-07T13:02:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Epidemiology2674-11992023-08-01310.3389/fepid.2023.11778741177874More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomesAsha Hassan0Asha Hassan1Alison Ojanen-Goldsmith2Anna K. Hing3Madeline Mahoney4Sarah Traxler5Christy M. Boraas6Christy M. Boraas7Research Division, Planned Parenthood North Central States, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesCenter for Antiracism Research for Health Equity, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesResearch Division, Planned Parenthood North Central States, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesCenter for Antiracism Research for Health Equity, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesResearch Division, Planned Parenthood North Central States, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesResearch Division, Planned Parenthood North Central States, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesResearch Division, Planned Parenthood North Central States, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United StatesDespite routine law enforcement use of chemical agents for crowd control, the reproductive health safety profiles of these products are unknown. Moreover, limited evidence has documented a link between such exposures and adverse reproductive health outcomes including abnormal uterine bleeding and potential pregnancy disruption. This cross-sectional study examined reproductive outcomes in adults with uteri exposed to chemical agents used by law enforcement, more commonly known as “tear gas”. Participants were recruited through social media in the wake of police violence protests. Of the 1,276 participants included in analysis, 83% reported experiencing at least one of the outcomes of interest, included uterine cramping (69%), early menstrual bleeding (55%), breast tenderness (30%), and delayed menstrual bleeding (19%). Chemical agent exposure was significantly associated with higher odds of an adverse reproductive health outcome, those with 5 days or more of exposure have 2.6 times the odds (CI: 1.61, 4.22) of adverse outcomes and having a perception that one's menstruation may fluctuate according to psychosocial stressors was associated (OR = 1.94, CI: 1.36, 2.79) with a higher odds of an adverse reproductive health experience. These findings suggest a potential relationship between exposure to chemical agents and adverse reproductive health outcomes. Given the pervasive use of these chemical agents and their potential for reproductive health harm, further investigation into the safety of these products and their impacts on individual and community health is warranted urgently.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1177874/fulltear gasespolice violencecrowd-controlreproductive healthmenstrual cyclestructural racism |
| spellingShingle | Asha Hassan Asha Hassan Alison Ojanen-Goldsmith Anna K. Hing Madeline Mahoney Sarah Traxler Christy M. Boraas Christy M. Boraas More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes Frontiers in Epidemiology tear gases police violence crowd-control reproductive health menstrual cycle structural racism |
| title | More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes |
| title_full | More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes |
| title_fullStr | More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes |
| title_short | More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes |
| title_sort | more than tears associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes |
| topic | tear gases police violence crowd-control reproductive health menstrual cycle structural racism |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1177874/full |
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