Reproductive health in the American workplace

Abstract

Helping workers understand their risk of reproductive and developmental hazard exposure can be demanding for the occupational health nurse. The lack of conclusive information about most suspected hazards, as well as concern over job security and advancement, make this issue doubly challenging. Further research is needed to verify or rule out the suspected toxic effects of a hazard. The occupational health nurse must make every effort to keep abreast of new research findings and federal or state requirements related to reproductive hazards. The key to promoting the reproductive health of American workers is primary prevention (Bernhardt, 1990). Educating and counseling workers about reproductive hazards so that they can make informed decisions about their reproductive health, along with implementing engineering controls or ergonomic changes to reduce the risk of exposure, should be the goal of all occupational health programs.