A woman has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, Imerys Talc America and Personal Care Products Council after receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis she alleges was the result of using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower talc-based products.

Plaintiff Bridget G. states in her lawsuit that she used both Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower in her perineal area.

She alleges that the talc used in her genital area for 34 years led to her subsequent ovarian cancer diagnosis.

Talc is a natural mineral that is mined from the earth. It is used for its absorbing properties in baby powder and related products, but alternative, safer products such as cornstarch exist.

The lawsuit states that the talc-based baby powder and shower products were purposefully marketed by Johnson & Johnson to women for the purpose of masking odor.

Slogans like “a sprinkle a day keeps odor away” and advertisements saying “your body perspires in more places than just under your arms” and “Shower to Shower can be used all over your body” made it appear that body wide use was safe.

A number of research studies have been published in the last four decades that have suggested the possibility of an association between talcum powder use and an ovarian cancer diagnosis.

The first study conducted in 1971 found that nearly all of the ovarian tumors studied had talc embedded within them. A 1982 study showed that women had a 92% increased risk of ovarian cancer when they used talc in the genital area.

Since those first two studies, more than 25 additional studies have been conducted.

The lawsuit also states that “In February 2006, the International Association for Research on Cancer (“IARC”), part of the World Health Organization, published a paper whereby the classified perineal use of talc-based body powder as a “Group 2B” human carcinogen.”

The lawsuit also stated that “IARC found that between 16 and 52% of women in the world using talc dust their perineum and found an increased risk of ovarian cancer in women talc users ranging from 30%-60%.”

It is assumed that genital talcum powder use in women can cause talc particles to travel up the vagina and into the ovaries where they can then cause abnormal cell changes, potentially leading to an ovarian cancer diagnosis in susceptible women.

Bridget has brought forth numerous counts against the defendants including violation of the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, negligence or wantonness, strict liability for defective manufacture and design, failure to warn, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, breach of express warranties, civil conspiracies and punitive damages.

She is seeking judgment in her favor against the defendants for her severe impairment to her ovaries and reproductive system, medical expenses, pain and suffering, exemplary and punitive damages, treble damages and general damages as well as attorneys’ fees and costs

The Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis Lawsuit is Case No. 1:16-cv-02090 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.