%0 Journal Article
%T Risk Perceptions of Environmental Hazards and Human Reproduction: A Community-Based Survey
%A Ashley Shepherd
%A Ruth Jepson
%A Andrew Watterson
%A Josie M. M. Evans
%J ISRN Public Health
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/748080
%X Objectives. We have investigated the Australian public's perceived risks on human reproductive health from a number of identified environmental hazards. Methods. A sample of 1261 subjects was interviewed. This interview included specific questions related to perceived risks of certain environmental hazards to human reproductive health. Results. Women were almost twice as likely to rank all hazards as harmful or very harmful to human reproduction than men. Age also influenced perceived risk with those in the 35 and older age groups more likely to rank lead as a harmful hazard when compared with the 18¨C34 group. Pesticides were identified by 84.5% of the sample as the most harmful environmental hazard to human reproduction. Conclusions. Similar to other environmental hazards, different groups of people in the general population perceive hazards relating to reproductive health differently. This information is important for both policy makers and health professionals dealing with reproductive environmental health issues. 1. Introduction Environmental health is an area of growing concern due to major global environmental changes and an increase in established links between a number of diseases and environmental exposures. Children and the developing fetus are known to be particularly vulnerable to the impact of environmental pollution [1] and as such, the European Environment Agency (EEA) [2] and the World Health Organisation (WHO) [3] have highlighted this as a high priority which warrants further research. Established risks for the fetus that relate to life circumstances and so-called lifestyle factors include smoking and second hand smoke, alcohol and other licit and nonlicit drugs, and physical exercise linked to factors such as obesity [4, 5]. These might be viewed as ˇ°social environmental risk factorsˇ± where data are often extensive and research has been conducted in some instances for decades. Greater uncertainty and doubt exist about what could be described as nonpersonal environmental risk factors and their impacts generated not by choices but by activities external to and usually beyond the control of individuals. These are the focus of our paper. They may also often involve complex inter-actions and long-term, low-level exposures and reviews flag both the established risks and new potential hazards during pregnancy that may involve a range of environmental factors. The effects of exposure to environmental toxins especially for pregnant women were propelled into the public domain in the 1960s with events such as the poisoning of Minamata Bay by
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.public.health/2012/748080/