People all over the world, especially those living in hot and humid cities, use talcum powder as it absorbs moisture well. Manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, advertisements persuaded women to dust themselves with talcum powder to mask genital odours. However, in the past few years, there have been cases of women claiming that talcum powder was responsible for giving them ovarian cancer. Talcum powder was thought to be a carcinogen, putting women in danger with prolonged perineal use. Here is what we know.

Does Talcum Powder Contain Cancer-Causing Carcinogens?

The talc in talcum powder mainly comprises of magnesium, oxygen, and silicon. It has excellent moisture-absorbing qualities, and hence it finds use in absorbing the sweat in the genital area. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified talcum powder as a possible carcinogen. World Ovarian Cancer Day 2020: From Appetite loss to Painful Sex, Signs of Ovarian Cancer That Are Very Easy To Miss.

 What Do Researchers Conclude on the Link Between Talcum Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer?

A study published in the International Journal of Cancer supported a link between talc use by women around the genital area and ovarian cancer. Quite surprisingly, the mortality rate of ovarian cancer has escalated sharply in women 65 years of age and older, especially in black women. They have a higher rate of talc use than other races. World Ovarian Cancer Day 2020: From Appetite loss to Painful Sex, Signs of Ovarian Cancer That Are Very Easy To Miss.

On the other hand, several studies have also concluded that there is no positive link between the use of talk in the genital area and ovarian cancer. For example, a study published in the journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation suggested that talc does not possess carcinogenic properties, and there was no positive association between cancer and perineal talc use. Risk of Ovarian Cancer Lowers in Women Who Breastfeed Their Babies.

The opinions are divided on whether the talcum powder causes cancer.   A lot more research needs to be done before we get to a conclusion. And given that many continue to use talcum on their babies, we need a definite answer at the earliest.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 08, 2020 12:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).