Picture the last time you used baby powder, the smell, the puff of soft powder – it’s a product that brings vision of pure innocence. At least until you learn it might be linked to an increased risk of a very deadly form of cancer.
Recently more than 4,800 women across the United States have filed lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson, and a handful of other companies over talcum powder. They say using talcum powder as part of their feminine hygiene routine gave them ovarian cancer.
Johnson and Johnson have been selling the talcum powder for more than 100 years, yet the scientific evidence connecting talc to cancer only started coming to light in the last 40 years. In 2006, the World Health Organization decided to classify genital use of talc as possibly carcinogenic to humans. But there is still a lot of debate in the scientific community. And most scientists agree, more research is still needed. That’s because proving a direct link between talc and cancer is tricky.
Recently a jury in the case of Deborah Giannecchini decided there was a link between talcum powder and her ovarian cancer. In October 2016, awarded her $70 million dollars. Johnson and Johnson appealed the decision.