This past February a jury ruled against Johnson & Johnson, ordering the company to pay a $70 million settlement to the family of a woman who fell victim to baby powder cancer.

According to the baby powder lawsuit, Jacqueline F. had powdered her underwear with baby powder every day since she was a teenager. She had done this for hygienic reasons, as baby powder has shown to reduce friction and odor.

In 2013, Jacqueline was diagnosed with ovarian cancer allegedly caused by the regular application of talc-based baby powder products to her genital area.

Soon after her ovarian cancer diagnosis, Jacqueline died from the disease in October 2015.

This baby powder lawsuit is an example of a recent string of allegations pertaining to baby powder cancer Johnson & Johnson is facing.

According to Bloomberg, the baby powder manufacturer is currently facing over 1,000 baby powder lawsuits from women who allegedly developed ovarian cancer after using the company’s baby powder and Shower-to-Shower powder on their genital areas.

Baby Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer Connection

These baby powder lawsuits center on claims that despite knowing the connection associated with ovarian cancer and talc-based baby powder, Johnson & Johnson omitted this information to maintain market value.

Talcum powder products have been used as hygienic products for generations, with Johnson & Johnson marketing their products for feminine hygiene purposes since the 1980s.

In fact, a 1998 ad for Johnson’s Shower-to-Shower powder stated that the product would suppress the odor and reminded women that their body perspires in more place than their armpits.

Even though both the baby powder and Shower-to-Shower labels advise consumers to only use them externally, many experts argue that there is a health risk in using talc-based baby powder products in the genital area.

This is because the talc particles enter through the vagina and eventually travel to the ovarian through the fallopian tubes.

These particles can stay dormant for up to eight years before developing into ovarian cancer, which can be fatal if not diagnosed at an early stage.

Baby Powder Cancer Lawsuits

In the 1970s, Johnson & Johnson began selling cornstarch based baby powder alongside its talc counterpart. There is no evidence that cornstarch baby powder could lead to ovarian cancer.

Around the same time in 1971, the Lancelet had published the first inquiry into the possibility of baby powder cancer. The study to follow was published in 1982 in the medical journal Cancer, which consolidated more than 20 studies that consisted of similar cause and effect results indicating baby powder cancer.

Currently there may be thousands of potential baby powder cancer victims in America, due to how commonly used it was and how women were encouraged to use it to hide their vaginal odors.

Women who have used talc-based baby powder and have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer may be eligible to file their own baby powder lawsuit, and should consult a specialized lawyer.