Reproductive Health Hazards in the Workplace: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation

Abstract

To provide occupational health professionals and employers with guidelines for reproductive health policy making, the authors— both of whom are obstetrician-gynecologists and occupational medicine physicians—review the history of and legal basis for U.S. policy on work and reproduction, delineate the goals and important elements of a reproductive health policy (RHP), and emphasize the need to incorporate an RHP into a comprehensive occupational injury and illness prevention program. After suggesting practical ways to achieve the goals of an RHP (maximal health protection, compliance with legal mandates, and reduction of liability), the authors propose a team-based model for RHP implementation with shared responsibility of management and workers in designing, enforcing, and evaluating the policy.