Baby powder (also referred to as talc powder or talcum powder) is a common staple in most households, even for families that do not have infants or small children in diapers.

That is because baby powder has also been popularly marketed as a skin softener and as an odor eliminator that can be safely applied to a woman’s genital area to prevent vaginal odor and decrease chaffing.

However, according to recent reports and baby powder lawsuits filed in federal and state courts, some women have reportedly developed ovarian cancer after using baby powder for feminine hygiene purposes for years, sometimes decades.

Background on Talcum Powder

Talcum powder is made from a natural mineral called talc that is found and mined from the earth. This fine, white powder has been found to have many uses and it is regularly used as a base ingredients in many types of cosmetics and body powders.

In the U.S. and abroad, one of the most popular brands of talcum powder is Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder. Since 1893, Johnson’s Baby Powder has been a common product bought by or given to young mothers to help keep their babies’ bottoms fresh or as a part of mothers’ hygiene and beauty routines.

In fact, Johnson has allegedly marketed their brand name baby powder as safe for feminine hygiene use. However, according to research studies dating as far back as the mid-twentieth century, use of baby powder in the genital area can lead to the development of ovarian cancer.

Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Risk

New research suggests that women who use talcum powder on their genitals have increased risk of ovarian cancer of about 24 percent. This statistic is particularly troubling as estimates show that 40 percent of women in the United States use baby powder for feminine hygiene purposes on a daily or near daily basis.

Furthermore back in 2014, the American Cancer Society published an estimate that over 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer would be diagnosed by the end of the year, and that 14,270 women would die of ovarian cancer within America alone.

While it is still not known how many of these tens of thousands of ovarian cancer cases can be directly attributed to baby powder usage, a recent analysis of data from eight separate baby powder ovarian cancer studies suggests that out of a pool of 8,525 women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, about a quarter claimed to use talcum powder products as part of their hygiene or beauty routine.

Since the results of various baby powder cancer studies have become public knowledge, many women have decided to pursue baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits. In October 2013, one of the first baby powder cancer lawsuits finally went to trial in court.

The plaintiff of this suit, like many other women after her, alleges J&J failed to warn her of the cancer risks associated with using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower talcum powder.

If you use a baby powder product for feminine hygiene purposes and have developed ovarian cancer, you may have claims that can be brought to court in a baby powder cancer lawsuit or a baby powder cancer class action lawsuit.