The AFA Blog

Our Kids Aren’t Perfect…Nor Are Their Parents

By Dawn Smith-Pliner

While my friends were reading the newspapers and glowing as they saw their children’s names listed on the school honor rolls, I was hoping that my daughter’s name wasn’t listed in the police blotter.  Truth be told, it was.
 
While my friends’ kids were worrying about what to wear to the school dances, my daughter was drinking and smoking at the “Notch.”

While my friends’ kids were filling out college applications, I was crossing my fingers, hoping my son would make it through high school.

And while my sister’s children have graduated from college, married and have children I am just hoping that my kids are healthy and happy.  And if they are, then life is darn good.  If they are not, I just want to know what I can do to help them out.

The early years were easy, well maybe not easy, but relatively sane.  Most days we were like any other family with children…the first tooth, the first step, the first day of school, the dance classes, the baseball games, the snowboarding lessons, and the holiday get togethers with the grandparents and cousins.  The years flew by and I had two teenagers on my hands—and they became strangers to me.  I challenged every word my parents said when I was a teen so I thought that I was well prepared for what lay ahead.  I was not!

The first speeding ticket did not faze me…I had been there and done that and survived.  The first time busted for drinking beer…no big deal…been there, done that and survived. The first time caught smoking pot…that was familiar, been there, done that and survived.

The first DUI and call from the police station…not so familiar.  I survived but I was scared.

The second call in the middle of the night saying curfew was broken because the car was at the bottom of a pond…. panic and not at all familiar.  Frightened to death!
A drug induced, hysterical, out of control child in the living room….I grabbed her, held on to her as tightly as I could and repeated “I love you and won’t let you go” until the room became silent…I was completely lost and totally unprepared.

A sound no parent should ever have to hear while vacationing in Provincetown with my kids…my son saying with such pain that it hurt to hear him talk, “I just want to know that she is okay and loves me.”… I felt helpless knowing that I would never know my son’s birthfamily and knowing nothing I could say would ease his pain.

No child is perfect but are adopted children less perfect… and what about their parents?
What impacts a life more – genetics or environment?
What part does the adoption piece play in the outcome of our lives, whether as adoptive parents, as birth parents or as an adopted person?

There have been many studies completed addressing these questions.  I can only speak or write from my heart and my observations.  All children want to be loved – most children are loved from the minute they are conceived and that love continues throughout their life and beyond.  But children who are placed for adoption, while most often loved by their family of birth, are disconnected when they are placed with an adoptive family – no matter how lovingly planned for.  I believe that some children feel this disconnect deeply and grapple with it all of their lives.  For others it seems it is just another day in the timeline of their life.

For families whose children seemingly sail through life on calm lakes, I am happy for you—stand proud and count your blessings.

For families whose children seem to have been born to sail the rough seas, never having seemed to have healed from the disconnect of their birth, I am with you.  Know that you are not alone.  We too have a lot to be proud of even if our kids don’t always follow the straight course, instead choosing to take many detours often resulting in trauma for them and their families.  They are our kids, with good hearts, strong character and we love them fiercely.  I can remember my parents saying to me, and then Joel and I saying to our kids – it is the days that you make poor decisions and the days that you test the limits of our patience that we have to love you the most! 

I believe that dysfunction creates adoption.  I believe that is it our responsibility as adoptive parents to integrate our children’s birth histories – medical and social – into the lives of our children.  If heart disease runs in the birth history then it is best for your child and his/her doctor to be aware of this. If addiction runs in your child’s birth history then it is important to appropriately make your child aware of this.  Maybe your child’s best friend can go to the back field and drink a six pack of beer and realize that all that results is a bad hangover, but for your child the six pack might lead to another six pack and another and, possibly, over time an addiction.

On a lighter note, my daughter’s birthmother was belly dancing when she went into labor so when my daughter would dance her way through the grocery store I would tell her that she got her beautiful dancing ability from her birthmother. Our children have two families – it is our responsibility to make sure that they reap all of the benefits from both!

And as to being perfect parents…stop worrying…they don’t exist.  But what does exist is our commitment to do our best to raise our children.  Sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes we have regrets, but at all times our love is steadfast.  And when things get tough we need not be afraid or embarrassed to seek out help.  And when the seas are calm we need to replenish ourselves and be thankful that we are together.

Perfect parents…perfect kids….no.  Resilient parents…resilient kids…we can only hope that we all find our way through the ups and downs of our life journeys.

“Food for Thought” Reading: 

The World of the Adopted Child by Christopher J. Alexander, PhD.

Finding Help for Struggling Teens: A Guide for Parents and the Professionals Who Work With Them, by Frederic G. Reamer and Deborah H. Siegel

Dawn Smith-Pliner is the adoptive mother of Aura and Isaac and the Founder and Director of Post Adoption Services of Friends in Adoption in Middletown

Food Packaging Significant Source of BPA Exposure, New Study Finds

The American Fertility Association congratulates allied non profit organization, The Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute on their groundbreaking new study on BPA exposure and women's health.  The AFA has been sounding the alarm on BPA and other toxins that affect reproductive health for many years; our most recent press release quoted Executive Director Ken Mosesian as stating, "The AFA is proud to be a thought leader in this arena, and looks forward to definitive answers being realized.  We recognize that more research is urgently needed."

  A peer-reviewed study published today in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that food packaging is a substantial source of exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which laboratory studies have linked to breast cancer, infertility, early puberty, and other serious health problems. In this unprecedented human study, scientists at the Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute discovered an average drop of 60 percent in BPA levels when study participants ate a diet that avoided contact with BPA-containing food packaging, such as canned food and polycarbonate plastic.

“This study suggests that removing BPA from food packaging will remove the number one source of BPA exposure,” said Janet Gray, Ph.D., Science Advisor to the Breast Cancer Fund and professor at Vassar College. “The study should serve as a call to action for industry and government to get BPA out of food packaging and to fix the broken chemical management system that allows it to be there in the first place.”

The study, “Food Packaging and Bisphenol A and Bis(2-Ethyhexyl) Phthalate Exposure: Findings from a Dietary Intervention,” tested the levels of BPA in the urine of five San Francisco Bay Area families who had a high likelihood of regular exposure to food packaging containing BPA (they consumed canned foods and beverages, ate meals outside of the home, used polycarbonate water bottles, and/or microwaved in plastic). The families were provided with three days’ worth of freshly prepared organic meals with no canned food, and using only glass storage containers. The families’ urine was evaluated while they ate their typical diets, again during the period when they were provided with freshly-prepared meals, and then again after returning to their normal eating habits. While the families were eating the fresh-food diet, their BPA levels dropped on average by 60 percent. Reductions were even more pronounced—75 percent—for those with the highest exposures. When families returned to their regular diets, their BPA levels increased back to pre-intervention levels.

In addition to BPA, participants were tested for phthalates, plastic-softening chemicals that can interfere with reproductive development. Levels of DEHP (a phthalate used in food packaging) dropped by an average of 50 percent during the intervention; and the highest exposures dropped by over 90 percent.

"Our study provides clear and compelling evidence that food packaging is the major source of exposure to BPA and DEHP,” said Ruthann Rudel, lead author of the study and Director of Research at Silent Spring Institute. “The study shows that a fresh-food diet reduces levels of these chemicals in children and adults by half, after just three days."

BPA and the phthalate DEHP are both used widely in food packaging. BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastics and is used in the lining of food cans, and DEHP is an additive used in some food containers and plastic wraps to increase flexibility. BPA and phthalates are both known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals because of their effects on hormone systems. BPA has been shown to mimic the hormone estrogen, and exposure has been associated with effects on the developing brain, reproductive system, and mammary and prostate glands in laboratory studies. Phthalates have been demonstrated to interfere with androgen signaling and male reproductive development in laboratory and human studies.

“The findings of this food packaging study suggest that if the food and food-storage industries reformulated packaging to remove BPA and phthalates, or if there were a federal ban of these chemicals in food packaging, a large portion of the population would experience a rapid reduction in the levels of these chemicals in their bodies,” said Dr. Gray. “Industry and government need to ensure the safety of any substitute chemicals before they are put into use.”

Suggestions from the Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute for reducing exposure to BPA and DEHP include cooking at home with fresh foods and making some changes in the kitchen, such as avoiding canned foods, choosing glass and stainless steel food and beverage containers, and not microwaving in plastic. After aggregating the results of tests of 300 canned food products, the Breast Cancer Fund found that BPA especially leaches into canned foods that are acidic, salty or fatty, such as coconut milk, soup, meals (e.g., ravioli in sauce) and vegetables. For additional tips or to download a shopper’s guide, visit www.breastcancerfund.org.

  

An Alternative Solution - Herbs and PCOS - How to use them to improve your fertility.

By Stacey Roberts, BSPT, Q Herbalist, Natural Fertility

 Rachel came to me after trying to have a baby for 4 years.  She was at her wits end.  She tried IVF but had hyperstimulated and was unsure of whether to try again.

 She had not had a menstrual cycle in 3.5 years no matter what medication she was on.  Rachel used a variety of medications to try to get her ovulating but nothing helped.

 After six months on an herb formula, Rachel began to spot.  She called me, very excited.  I was actually getting a little despondent myself after six months and nothing happening.  I asked her to send in her charts so we could see what was going on and lo and behold, she wasn’t going to have a period.  She was pregnant!  Rachel has now had 2 beautiful little girls while utilizing the herbs.

 What happened?  How did Rachel conceive when she was told it couldn’t happen?  Afterall, she wasn’t even having a period.

When a woman is dealing with Polycystic Ovaries it is important to remember that this syndrome is a symptom of an imbalance in the system.  Polycystic ovaries commonly occur when a woman is experiencing insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.  So the very first step in addressing this syndrome naturally is through the diet. 

Step 1:  Optimize your Eating Plan

• Remove white flour products and other high glycemic foods. 
• Choose carbohydrates that are low glycemic
• With each meal make sure you have a protein and or a good fat to slow dose the glucose response in the blood.  This helps to take stress off the system.
• ELIMINATE sugar.  Sugar and sweeteners are major enemies of women with Polycystic Ovaries so get them out your the diet. 
• Eliminate empty calories from soft drinks and alcohol that also disrupt your sugar levels.

 Step 2:  Optimize a Supplementation Program

• Use a broadspectrum of antioxidants and minerals to help improve cellular health and address the underlying issue with glucose and insulin.

• Besides Vitamins A, B, C, D3, E and folic acid (a type of vitamin B) it is also important for women to have appropriate amounts of selenium, zinc, chromium, and iodine in their diet and supplementation program to improve their situation. 

• Herbs such as Gymnena (not to be taken with drugs that are used for resistance eg. Metformin and others) and Cinnamon have been shown to help support optimal glucose metabolism.

• With Rachel it was also helpful to take herbs that support her thyroid such as Withania and Bacopa. 

• Other herbs to support ovulation are Peony and Agnus Castus (Chaste Tree).

• When dealing with herbs always consult a qualifed herbalist to assess your situation otherwise you may be taking too much or too little of the necessary herbs.  And the supplementation program including herbs must only supplement the diet.  With PCOS, diet is number 1!

Step 3: Minimize Toxins

• Exposure to voluntary toxins from smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and chemically laden skin care products, improper use of plastics (i.e. heating food in plastic containers, etc) and even air fresheners and cleaning products can impair your fertility according to various studies.

• Always use “green” products when you can and avoid products whose ingredient list is full of scientific names you cannot pronounce.

• Herbs such as St. Mary’s Thistle (Milk Thistle), Schisandra, and even Bladderwrack are herbs that can be used to help the body properly remove toxins from the system

 Step 4:  Appropriate Exercise Program

• A balanced exercise program including cardiovascular fitness and resistance training can help make the body more insulin sensitive and along with an optimal diet can reverse insulin resistance in some individuals.  Polycystic Ovaries have been reversed when hormone balance returns to normal.

• Seek out a qualified personal trainer or physical therapist to help you set up the best program for you.

 Step 5:  Support the Mind Body Connection

• Several studies show that addressing stress and the mind body connection has helped women with ovulation disorders such as Polycystic Ovaries.  In a study performed at Emory University, 80% of patients who previously were not ovulating spontaneous ovulated after hypnosis sessions. 

 Rachel knows the importance of addressing all of these steps at one time versus trying one thing for a while and moving on to the next without appropriate guidance.  But now after addressing her situation by following the five steps above perhaps Rachel can help her little girls avoid the difficulties that she experienced trying to conceive as well as the other negative consequences that women with Polycystic Ovaries can face, i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid issues, and autoimmune diseases.

 It is important to note that all treatments should be done under the auspices of a trained professional.

Stacey Roberts, PT, MH, Phd-C is a leading herbalist and internationally recognized expert on complementary medicines. She is the owner of Sharkey's Healing Centre and resides in Melbourne, Australia.  She is a guest contributor to The American Fertility Association's online library, directory, and blog.

 

 

Cervical Stenosis from a Cone or LEEP

by Fred Licciardi, M.D.

Today we are going to talk more about blockage of the cervical canal: Cervical Stenosis. We will concentrate on the most common causes of cervical stenosis; scaring that results from the treatment of an abnormal pap smear.

Treatment of an abnormal pap can cause scarring of the lower part of the cervix, the external os. This type of scar is a problem for 2 reasons. First, it reduces the number of mucus producing cells, sometimes lowering natural fertility. Second, it may make fertility procedures, such as insemination or embryo transfer, more difficult.

Most cases of cervical stenosis occur as a result of improper healing from a surgical procedure. It may not be that the procedure was done improperly; it’s just that the healing did not cooperate

It is cells in the area of the external os that are tested during a pap smear. When these cells look abnormal, we need to remove them before they progress to cervical cancer. We treat the abnormal cells by either by destroying them or removing them: both processes can cause scarring. Examples of destroying the tissue include cauterization (basically burning away with electricity or a laser) and Cryo.

Cautery just basically fries the cells away, some abnormal and some normal tissue. Cryo literally freezes off some of the tissue of the external os, removing abnormally growing cells and some normal tissue. Cryo and Cautery are not popular because they do not give you any tissue to send to the lab.

Rather than destroying cervical tissue, there are other procedures that remove a small piece. Examples of tissue removal include a cone biopsy or a LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure). The cone procedure and LEEP are basically the same thing, however if necessary the LEEP can be a little more precise and remove a smaller amount of normal tissue. The LEEP and the cone biopsy cut away pieces of tissue that can be further evaluated under the microscope.

A cone involves and old fashioned scalpel, and takes away a larger piece in the shape of a cone (pictures to follow). The LEEP uses a thin wire loop that scoops out a little piece. However, sometimes using a LEEP the doctor needs to take a larger area as if a cone were being performed. Today, most procedures are LEEP procedures because the biopsy can be directed; in other words, only a small area can be removed if necessary. In addition, the LEEP can be performed in the office as opposed to the hospital. Finally, there is a lower chance of bleeding with a LEEP.

No matter which of these procedures is performed, a small percentage of people can have post-op scarring that leads to cervical stenosis. The more tissue removed or destroyed, the greater the chance of a scar.

Why do some people scar an others not? Some people are just more prone to it. Scaring is the normal way we heal. For some women, the scarring is more robust and progresses enough to cover over the cervical canal. Certainly, if any of these procedures are followed by infection, scarring will be more likely.

Let’s go through the pictures.

Here is our uterine drawing showing the uterus and cervix.












The next picture is a drawing of what your doctor sees when she puts in the speculum. It’s the cervix, actually the very bottom of the cervix.











Let’s say your pap comes back abnormal. This usually means that there are some cells around the external os that are abnormal. Depending on the severity of the pap, these cells may need to be removed. Using some special techniques, you doctor would look very carefully at your cervix under magnification to try to determine the extent and location of the abnormality.
This picture is an example of abnormal cells in a very small area.








Here, the doctor does not need to remove much tissue, and this is not likely to lead to scarring. The doctor will probably use the LEEP procedure, but only a small amount of cervix needs to be removed. This picture shows a cervix with a small abnormality and a small LEEP.












This picture shows a case where there is a larger amount abnormal cells and they take up a larger area on the cervix.










In this case, the abnormal cells are all around the external os. Here, the doctor needs to take away much more tissue.







You can see that the shape of the removed tissue is in the shape of a cone, thus the term cone biopsy. A larger LEEP will also make a cone shaped biopsy. While the odds of scaring remain low, if it does happen, it is more likely to come from taking more tissue. The next picture shows a post-LEEP scar.











The good news is that in most cases, scarring at the external os is the easiest to deal with. Unlike scar tissue that forms higher up in the cervix, scarring at the external os can be seen with a speculum and the scar is usually shallow. The scar is usually on the thin side and can be easily opened, usually in the office.


After opening, the scar may have a tendency to return, but re-opening is not that difficult. In the case of fertility treatments such as insemination and embryo transfer, the scar can be opened just prior to these procedures without much difficulty. Unfortunately some women can have more serious scarring after these procedures that is not so easy to deal with. Additionally, some women need to have multiple biopsies, and this will increase the scar risk.

What Matters Most

By Shari DeGraff Stewart

As a therapist, I sit with a young woman who struggles to find words to express her anguish and disbelief, "Is this it?  Is this my life?"  Some people would look at her, a beautiful woman, and think she has everything:  financial security and social respect from an education and established career, a caring family and amazing husband, even the American dream of a lovely home and car.  But she wonders, "Is this all there is?  I've worked hard so we could create a home, not just for us, but for our baby.  All my dreams of growing old together include our children and grandchildren."

The deep grief of infertility is the realization that what matters most, to many of us, is a life and a world we share with our children.  The material things we thought mattered become a painful mockery—"What use is this house if its not filled with the sound of children laughing?  Why am I working so hard for one promotion after another?  I don't want my legacy to be this business.  I want it to be my son or daughter."  Even the image of a catastrophe clarifies our priorities—If there were a ______________(fire, flood, earthquake) the first thing we think about is, "Are the children safe?"  Because, that is what matters most to us.

To dismiss the grief and fear of infertility as an "obsession" is to miss this basic truth.  What we value most in life, from the intangibles of meaning, love, faith, and truth to the physical needs of comfort, touch, and nurture are for most of us, intertwined in the image of and need for our children.  It is my life's work and the work of The Stewart Institute Foundation to meet the emotional needs of women and couples facing what may be the most-difficult grief of their life—the fear of losing their children.

Reposted with permission from The Stewart Institute for Infertility

It's a Boy!

by Ken Mosesian

Congratulations to Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman on the birth of their first child, Skyler Morrison. Zoe, a celebrity stylist, is the star of the Rachel Zoe Project. Last year, at the close of the season, she was discussing her desire to start a family with her physician. He told her that at her age it may be too late. She was clearly shocked.

Her response reminded me of the responses we had gotten from the hundreds of women that we have spoken with across the country about the reality of the biological clock. Well educated, professional women, who don't realize that fertility begins its first decline at age 27, and then takes a significant dip around age 35.

In a truly poignant scene, she spoke directly to the camera, saying that she had worked so hard and so long to make sure she had a thriving business, presumably to be able to provide for the child and to be able to take time off, only to find out that it may be too late.

Sometimes infertility can't be prevented, but there are many things that can be done to help one conceive. Awareness of how age factors in is absolutely key. Check out our Infertility Prevention Handbook for more information. 

And to Rachel and Rodger, our best wishes to you and your family. Here's to health, happiness, and joy for you all. 

 

 

 

 

 

Radiation and sperm

by Craig Niederberger, M.D., F.A.C.S.

The horrific earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan remind us that no matter how powerful we become or careful we are, nature asserts itself in ways that we can’t imagine.  The nuclear engineers and technicians working to contain the radiation leaking from the damaged power plant in Fukushima are nothing short of heroic.  Radiation can cause all sorts of ills, from acute sickness to cancer and infertility.

In the testis, developing sperm cells are exquisitely sensitive to radiation.  Kyodo News reported that after an explosion at the Fukushima No. 2 reactor on March 15, radiation levels measured as high as 8,217 micro sievert or 0.8217 rem per hour.  (Micro sievert and rem are units of radiation dosage.)

Does that amount of radiation harm developing sperm cells?  I asked Marvin Meistrich, Ph.D., Professor of Experimental Radiation Oncology and the Florence M. Thomas Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, a world’s expert in radiation and sperm.  Dr. Meistrich explained that sustained exposure to 20 rem of radiation over 4 weeks caused sperm counts to drop to 1/10th of their original amount.  At doses of 40-80 rem, sperm counts fell to about 1/100th of the starting number, and in some cases were wiped out entirely.  At 200 rem, that drop to zero sperm became permanent. For one-time doses, Dr. Meistrich explained that 15-20 rem caused a short-term fall in sperm count, and 400 rem or more resulted in permanent loss of sperm.

We know that radiation changes DNA, the sperm’s precious genetic cargo.  What we don’t know is what dose causes a harmful DNA change that damages a developing embryo or causes disease later in life.

The radiation leakage in Fukushima seems to be in the range at which damage to sperm occurs.  I can only hope that the workers at Fukushima and the people near the plants are aware of the dangers and take action to protect themselves.

A Chemical Blowout: Frizz, Formaldehyde and Infertility

By Kimberly Inez McGuire

The first whispers of summer are in the air, foretelling sunny days, sultry nights, and trips to the beach. For better or worse, it also means that many women crowd into salons and spas in a frenzy of pre-summer health and beauty rituals. And it’s no small task to prepare for all the bared skin and exposure to the elements—that’s right, ladies and gents, I’m talking about the Brazilian.

No, not that Brazilian. I’m talking about the Brazilian Blowout (also known as Keratin Treatment), a salon procedure that claims to “improve the health and condition of the hair,” “eliminate frizz,” and “smooth the cuticle.” These are tantalizing promises to a curly-haired woman like me. Between my Irish ringlets and Puerto Rican kink (thanks, Mom and Dad!) my hair can be a handful—and the swampy, sticky DC summers don’t help. Neither do the countless women’s magazines, ugly duckling movies, and makeover TV shows that portray hair like mine as a problem, a “before” picture in desperate need of a stick-straight “after.” So, when I see photos of Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, and Nicole Richie rocking smooth, shiny locks, I hear the siren call of hassle-free hair and think, “Why not?”

In a word? Formaldehyde. Yes, that same stinky soup that held the dissecting frogs in 10^th grade biology is now available in your local high-end hair salon. Initially, this rather disturbing information came to light late last year when salon workers reported headaches, eye irritation, difficulty breathing, and nose bleeds, all symptoms of short-term formaldehyde exposure. When Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tested samples of Brazilian Blowout products, they found dangerous levels of the chemical, including in products explicitly labeled “Formaldehyde Free.”

Investigators have concluded that the process of applying the solution to hair, and then using a blow dryer and flatiron, aerosolized the formaldehyde, making it easy for salon workers and clients to inhale. This is a great discovery if you’re looking for an effective biological weapon, but definitely bad news for women’s health. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, and scientific studies have linked it to miscarriage, stillbirth, menstrual disorders, and female infertility. Just last week, the beauty industry’s own scientists finally acknowledged that they cannot guarantee the safety of formaldehyde-containing hair straighteners. And by the way, this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of toxic cosmetics targeted to women of color.

Now, you’re probably thinking, Brazilian Blowout products have been recalled, right? Because putting a nasty chemical like formaldehyde into a product that women all over the country use must be illegal, RIGHT? Sadly, this is not the case. While Canada has stopped the distribution of these toxic products, Ireland has issued a recall, and the California Attorney General’s office has filed a lawsuit, there has been no nation-wide recall or federal government action to stop the use of these harmful products. And it’s certainly not for lack of effort by women’s health groups like Women’s Voices for the Earth, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the National Healthy Salon Alliance.

Unfortunately, the laws that are supposed to protect us from toxic cosmetics are 70 years old and badly broken—and the Brazilian Blowout brouhaha is a symptom of a failed system. There are no safeguards in place to prevent dangerous products from coming on the market, and no real labeling requirements—which is exactly how a product touted as “Formaldehyde Free” was found to contain dangerous levels of formaldehyde. There are over 12,000 ingredients used in cosmetics, yet 89 percent of them have not been reviewed for safety. In fact, voluntary recalls and anemic self-regulation are all that stands between American families and toxic chemicals in everyday products—from Brazilian Blowout to body wash, baby bottles to blue jeans.

I checked the Brazilian Blowout website today, and the company is heavily featuring a new product called “ZERO” which, they claim, “releases 0% Formaldehyde.” Given that there’s no real oversight of claims like this, I’m skeptical. The company is also standing behind their original formulation—you know, the one that gave salon workers nosebleeds and could be making clients infertile.

Women and workers deserve better. Fortunately, there is something we can do (besides just pulling our hair out from frustration). In the coming months, Congress is expected to introduce legislation that would update our national chemical policy, ensure that products are safe before allowing them in our homes and workplaces, and provide consumers and federal agencies with the information they need to protect human health. To make sure Congress lives up to this important responsibility, you can sign a petition asking President Obama to create a cancer prevention plan that stops the use of cancer-causing chemicals (like formaldehyde) in products we use every day.

Until we have common-sense regulation of chemicals in cosmetics and everyday products, the status quo—labels that lie and products that poison—will continue. So, until I can trust that a Brazilian Blowout isn’t going to give me cancer or make it hard for me to have kids someday, I’m keeping my curls, thank you very much. And I’ll use some of the time I’m not sitting at the salon to sign that petition to President Obama and send it to 10 women I care about. Because beauty is pain sometimes, but this is ridiculous.

Quick tip: How safe are your cosmetics? Find out here.

Kimberly Inez Mcguire is the Senior Associate, Programs & Policy for the Reproductive Health Technologies Project.

Experts at UN Meeting Urge Action to Combat Environmental Causes of Cancer.

Important and significant actions designed to reduce or eliminate environmental toxins in the workplace were urged today by experts attending a United Nations convened scientific meeting.  Interestingly, many of the same toxins known to contribute to escalating cancer rates world wide have also been linked in multiple studies to infertility and birth defects of various types.  The press release appears in its entirety here:

EXPERTS AT UN MEETING URGE ACTION TO COMBAT ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES OF CANCER.

UN press release

(New York; 18 March,  2011)

Medical experts attending a United Nations-convened scientific meeting today called for action to address preventable environmental and occupational causes of cancer, noting that nearly one in five of all cases of cancers are attributable to the environment, including work settings.

“Many environmental and occupational factors, including certain chemicals, radiation and airborne particles, can cause cancer,” said Maria Neira, the Director for Public Health and Environment at the UN World Health Organizations (WHO), which convened the meeting in the Spanish Principality of Asturias.

“These cancers could be prevented and reduced by changes in national and international policy to limit people’s involuntary exposure to these substances,” she added.

The cancers related to the environment, which comprise roughly 19 per cent of all cancers and cause 1.3 million deaths each year, are often the result of situations where people have limited control over the quality of air they breathe, the water they drink, and the level of chemical contamination in indoor and outdoor environments and at places of work.

In their “Asturias Pledge,” the experts urged governments to include environmental and occupational preventive measures in their national cancer control programmes, and ensure enforcement of national and international standards for environmental and occupational carcinogens.

They recommended that WHO lead a global effort in highlighting the importance of primary prevention of cancer, assess the impact of environmental and occupational interventions on primary prevention of cancer, and develop guidance for implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Civil society should raise awareness about practices and processes that increase carcinogenic risks, raise awareness, educate and advocate for funding to implement effective primary prevention of those types of cancers, the experts suggested.

Industry, for its part, should support and implement measures aimed at preventing the cancers. It should also contribute to policy development relating to the mitigation of occupational risks and workers’ exposures; eliminate or reduce exposure to known and probable carcinogens, and better inform workers on the risks they face in the workplace and protect them from carcinogens.

Reducing and eventually eliminating the exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens is the most effective way to prevent a number of cancers, according to WHO. Stopping the use of asbestos can prevent lung cancer, mesothelioma and cancers of the larynx and ovaries, for example. Replacement of benzene with safer solvents will prevent leukaemia, the agency said.

 

Asturias Pledge

Environmental and Occupational Determinants of Cancer: Interventions for Primary Prevention

Asturias (Aviles and Gijon), Spain

17 – 18 March 2011

http://www.who.int/phe/news/events/international_conference/Call_for_action_en.pdf

 

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Environmental and occupational risk factors are estimated to be a substantial contributor to the cancer burden, many of them are modifiable and often result from involuntary exposure of populations, but have yet to be seriously addressed by cancer prevention programmes. The burden of cancer is currently shifting towards heavily populated low- and middle-income countries and is predicted to increase due to a rise in life expectancy as a result of economic development. Therefore, environmental and occupational interventions are key for reducing the incidence and mortality of cancer, can be cost-effective and contribute to the overall well-being of communities.

 

In line with World Health Assembly Resolution WHA58.22 on Cancer Prevention and Control, where countries were urged to pay special attention to cancers for which risk factors are avoidable, including environmental and occupational factors, we, the participants in the first WHO International Conference on "Environmental and occupational determinants of cancer: Interventions for Primary Prevention", call for a broad, public health driven response bringing together public heath, environmental, occupational and cancer control communities in a multi-sectoral and collaborative approach, to tackle known and preventable causes of cancer, using scientific evidence to raise awareness and promote environmental and occupational interventions in support of primary preventive measures:

 

 

TO GOVERNMENTS

1. Further develop surveillance of the burden of cancer, support research and build capacities for systematic identification and measurement of environmental and occupational risk factors as part of national cancer control programmes.

 

2. Include and implement evidence-based environmental and occupational preventive measures as part of policies, legislation and regulations, creating synergies among public health programmes, with NGOs and private and public institutions.

 

3. Adopt and enforce national and international legislation for protection against environmental and occupational carcinogens.

 

4. Support campaigns for behavioural change, including in the work place, to protect individuals from environmental and occupational cancer risks, through innovative approaches and collaboration with the media, and using easily accessible public information about the risks and protection measures.

 

 

 

 

TO WHO

1. Lead a global effort to highlight the importance of primary prevention of cancer through healthy environments, raising awareness and bringing together public heath, environmental, occupational and cancer control communities.

 

2. Shape the research cancer agenda so as to take account of environmental- and occupational-related cancers, including a better characterization of causes and assessment of the effectiveness of behavioural change and environmental and occupational interventions for the primary prevention of cancer.

 

3. Encourage governments to include environmental and occupational prevention measures as part of national cancer control programmes.

 

4. Develop guidance for the implementation of evidence-based environmental and occupational interventions based on population needs assessments.

 

5. Support the implementation of environmental and occupational prevention measures in developing countries and countries in transition through technical assistance, training and other means.

 

6. To support implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the World Health Assembly Resolution WHA60.23 on Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: implementation of the global strategy.

 

7. Encourage governments to provide funding to further study environmental factors as potential causes of cancer and to support primary prevention of cancer due to known environmental and occupational risk factors.

 

8. Establish a coordinated network of institutions at national and international level to support policy development and implementation of primary prevention measures for environmental- and occupational-related cancers.

 

 

TO CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS

1. Increase awareness raising about environmental and occupational determinants of cancer.

 

2. Advocate for the enforcement of national and international standards for exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens and to enhance protection of workers.

 

3. Further develop innovative campaigns and strategies to raise awareness about individual behavioural change to support primary prevention of environmental- and occupational-related cancers.

 

4. Strengthen involvement in policy development and implementation related to the mitigation of environmental and occupational risks.

 

5. Advocate for research on environmental- and occupational-related cancers and on effectiveness of prevention measures, including those related to behavioural change.

 

6. Advocate for funding to tackle primary prevention of environmental- and occupational-related cancers, including support for awareness raising, education, and wider implementation of measures known to be effective.

 

7. Support the development of a global network of international environmental-, occupational- and health-related NGOs to advocate for the introduction of environmental and occupational aspects to the global cancer agenda, and with other actors to engage with the media in support of primary prevention of environmental- and occupational-related cancers.

 

 

TO INDUSTRY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR

1. Incorporate measures for primary prevention of environmental- and occupational-related cancers into existing corporate initiatives and business management programmes.

 

2. Where necessary, develop substitutes, products, technologies and processes to eliminate the use of carcinogens, evaluate their effectiveness and support international technology and information transfer.

 

3. Provide information to governments, workers and consumers about hazardous substances and products, ensure clear labelling and responsible marketing.

 

4. Train workers, suppliers and sub-contractors in preventing exposures to carcinogens and establish prevention and mitigation measures.

 

5. Partner with governments and civil society groups in support of primary prevention of cancer.

 

BPA and sperm

by Craig Niederberger, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Bis-phenol A, or “BPA”, is everywhere.  It’s a chemical commonly found in plastic bottles, like those holding sodas and water.  It leeches out from the plastic container, and seeps into the drink.  To the body, it looks like the female hormone estrogen, and may throw male hormones out of whack.

Mounting evidence suggests that BPA is bad for sperm, slowing the soldiers and lowering their numbers. Look for “BPA Free” on bottles if you want your sperm to be the best that they can be.