In the wake of nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, anecdotal reports of irregular menstrual cycles emerged among protestors who were exposed to tear gas used by law enforcement. Those reports—and the fact that the reproductive health effects of exposure to tear gas and other chemical agents is largely unknown—were the impetus for a new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH).
agencies. Many of these chemicals have been banned in active warfare by international treaties because they have been linked to a range of negative health effects, including blindness, glaucoma and respiratory failure., SPH researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis to collect reproductive and sexual health experiences among protest attendees with uteri who were exposed to chemical agents.
Greater exposure to chemical agents was significantly associated with higher odds of an adverse reproductive health outcomes. Those with five days or more of exposure experienced 2.6 times more negative reproductive outcomes.police violence can impact reproductive and perinatal health," said Asha Hassan, a researcher with SPH's Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity and lead author of the study.
"Law enforcement agencies see chemical agents as 'less lethal' weapons, but the fact is that we simply do not know very much about the short-term or long-term public health effects tear gas and other chemical agents have on reproductive health.