In a number of countries, the use of microplastics in cosmetics is prohibited by law. Medicine, beauty industry and personal hygiene market: are women protected from exposure to toxic substances Healthcare
Many diseases of the female reproductive system can be associated with the toxicity of consumer products, including cosmetics and hygiene products that women regularly use. Few people think about this, believing that if the products are on the shelves, then they will not cause harm. Independent UN expert Marcos Orellana claims that this is far from always the case. At the same time, he emphasizes in his new report, health care systems are not designed to help people protect their physical and mental health from the negative effects of toxic substances.
The report focuses primarily on the gender aspects of the impact of toxic materials on human health. And the findings are not encouraging: women suffer significantly more than men.
Orellana, who holds the post of Special Rapporteur on the human rights implications of the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, argues that the production of toxic products for women, such as “perfumed” pads, may be partly due to sexist stereotypes and gender bias. At the same time, medicine is primarily oriented towards men, and women’s diseases caused by the use of toxic products are not given sufficient attention.
Medicine is oriented towards men
As the expert emphasizes, medical standards are mostly androcentric, that is, they are designed for men. Thus, in 2020, only one percent of medical research and innovation concerned purely female diseases (except for oncological ones). At the same time, women’s needs in the field of treatment of hormonal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the reproductive system and mental disorders differ from those of men.
Research on the effects of toxic substances on human health, even in cases where the harm they cause is significant and widespread, is often carried out without disaggregation by gender. For example, the Pesticide Action Network reported that 385 million farmers and farm workers suffer from unintentional acute pesticide poisoning worldwide each year, but it is not known what proportion of them are women.
Healthcare providers are less likely to believe women and often ignore their complaints. This includes women suffering from illnesses caused or aggravated by toxic substances.
In Canada, for example, women complaining of chemical sensitivities face gender bias from doctors, who are skeptical of their complaints and more likely to refer them to a psychologist than to a specialist. Although women are increasingly reporting such complaints, they are less likely to be diagnosed than men due to sexism in the health care system.
In many cases, the Special Rapporteur noted, health care workers are also not sufficiently aware of the impact of the environment on human health in general.
Toxic substances and female gynecological diseases
One of the chronic gynecological diseases that affects millions of women worldwide and is characterized by a complex set of symptoms, including pelvic pain, heavy bleeding and infertility, is endometriosis. Its incidence is rapidly increasing, and some studies indicate that this may be due to exposure to toxic substances, including dioxins.
Patients with endometriosis not only have to endure severe pain, but also face mistrust from doctors and often wait a long time for a diagnosis.
One of the leading causes of infertility in women is polycystic ovary syndrome, which is often associated with the effects of toxic chemicals on the endocrine system. Moreover, the effects of such exposure can be felt for several generations. Polycystic ovary syndrome affects eight to 13 percent of women of reproductive age, and in 70 percent of cases they are unaware of it.
Another rapidly spreading female disease is uterine fibroids. Research results indicate a possible link to phthalates contained in consumer products, including food packaging.
Toxics, Menstruation, and Female Genitals
Women’s health, especially their reproductive health, can be negatively affected by prejudices associated with menstruation, female genitalia and, in general, with female nature and femininity. Menstruation is often a taboo topic. At the same time, female genitalia are particularly vulnerable to toxic substances, as the skin of the female genitalia has a special absorbent capacity. The Special Rapporteur recalls the right of women to have access to menstrual hygiene products that do not contain harmful chemicals.
Many manufacturers of such products exploit prejudices about unpleasant vaginal odors during menstruation and, under this pretext, add harmful chemical fragrances to pads. As another solution to this imaginary problem, women are also often offered douching, which exposes the body to harmful chemicals found in some douches, including phthalates.
One recent study found lead and arsenic, which are known carcinogens, in feminine hygiene pads. Another study calculated that an average of 9.4 billion plastic nanoparticles are released from a single pad.
Some new menstrual products, such as reusable panties, may contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the report says.
Yet the issue of toxicity in menstrual hygiene products is largely ignored, and most governments do not take steps to ensure that consumers can easily obtain information about the ingredients in the products they use.
Toxics, Beauty, and Advertising
A woman’s social status often depends on how attractive, professional, and youthful she looks. That is why women use various cosmetics more often than men, and attempts to be careful when using them are suppressed by aggressive advertising that plays on stereotypes of femininity and beauty, as well as on the feeling of self-doubt typical of women in countries with a patriarchal way of life.
The problem is aggravated by the lack of proper labeling of cosmetics in many cases, including reliable information about their composition. For example, a test of 362 products for the content of triclosan, parabens, and other chemicals that negatively affect the endocrine system, conducted by organizations from eight Asian countries, showed that the labeling of many of them does not contain complete or reliable information, while some of them contain large amounts of dangerous chemicals.
Some hair straightening products still contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. A large study of these products, used primarily by women of African descent, found an increased risk of uterine cancer.
A recent study in Trinidad and Tobago tested 19 over-the-counter skin-lightening creams and found that 16 of them contained mercury, six of which exceeded the limits set by the Minamata Convention on Mercury and three of which reached critical levels. Mercury ingestion can cause skin problems, nerve disorders, and kidney problems.
In India, the sale of skin-lightening products is often promoted by advertising that perpetuates racist stereotypes that fair skin is more attractive. As a result, women, particularly in marginalized communities, often use such products despite the health risks associated with them.
However, the Special Rapporteur notes that companies selectively fund research that benefits them or manipulate data to downplay the risks associated with their products, thereby misleading the public and authorities and hindering the promotion of safer alternatives.
Special Rapporteur’s Recommendations
Orellana makes a number of recommendations to States. In his opinion, they should, in particular, adjust the “norms” of toxicity of consumer goods and the concentration of harmful substances in them, prohibit the use of certain toxic materials, better inform the population, including about measures to reduce the impact of toxic substances and their harm, taking into account the gender factor.
Countries can also develop requirements regarding the proper labeling of goods, regulate advertising activities, take measures to familiarize health workers with the negative effects of toxic substances on the human body, fund research into the impact of toxic substances on the health of women and men, and actively consult with women.