The Impact of Tear Gas on Reproductive Health: A Look at the Summer of 2020 Protests
Key Highlights :
In the summer of 2020, the United States was rocked by protests following the murder of George Floyd. During these protests, law enforcement used chemical irritants to disperse the crowds, and some protestors reported disruptions in their menstrual cycles and reproductive health. To explore this further, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Planned Parenthood conducted a survey of protestors from across the country. The study found that 83% of participants reported adverse reproductive health outcomes, with longer exposure to tear gas leading to more severe effects. In response, the Minneapolis Police Department revised its policy on the use of chemical agents, and the research team hopes to fuel further research on the impact of tear gas on reproductive health.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Planned Parenthood, surveyed protestors from across the country. According to Asha Hassan, a UMN Graduate Student and Planned Parenthood Research Scientist, “Anyone who was an adult who was exposed to tear gas during that time period and who had a uterus was eligible to participate in this study.” The team analyzed data from over 1,200 participants and found that 83% reported adverse reproductive health outcomes, including uterine cramping (69%), early menstrual bleeding (55%), breast tenderness (30%), and delayed menstrual bleeding (19%). Those with five days or more of exposure experienced 2.6 times more negative reproductive outcomes.
The study also found that participants were exposed to chemical agents for 6.1 days on average. The longer the exposure, the more adverse effects were felt. While the study did indicate a relationship between tear gas exposure and reproductive health, it had several limitations and could not prove cause and effect. Some of these limitations included the impact of hormonal birth control, stress, and trauma.
In response to the findings of the study, the Minneapolis Police Department revised its policy on the use of chemical agents. Now, police can use crowd control tools such as chemical agents only in specific situations after high-level authorization. In a statement, Chief Brian O'Hara said, “Any report of health concerns due to exposure to chemical irritants should be concerning to law enforcement as well as the public. For many reasons, MPD has made significant recent policy changes to ensure a more thorough consideration of the wellbeing of all involved before deploying crowd control weapons such as tear gas. The use of crowd control tools can now only occur in specific situations after the proper, high-level authorizations.”
Asha Hassan hopes the study will fuel more research on the impact of tear gas on reproductive health. She said, “This sort of data is really just a first step. I think there's a lot of questions still to be asked and I'm glad those are questions being put forth right now.” By raising awareness of the potential health risks of tear gas, the research team hopes to protect protestors and ensure their safety in the future.
