Environmental Health
As one of the largest providers of reproductive health care in our region, PPNNE believes it is our responsibility to ensure our patients and communities understand the link between their health and the products they consume, and to educate them about reducing exposure to toxic chemicals.
We call this work Good Chemistry.
Advocating for comprehensive chemical reform has become a focus for advocates of reproductive justice, as there is growing evidence linking chemical exposure to infertility, early puberty, cancers, asthma and other health issues.
Some alarming statistics:
- According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of miscarriages and stillbirths have increased notably since the 1970s and 80s.
- An estimated 3 to 10 % of women suffer endometriosis – a leading cause of infertility that has been linked to chemical exposures.
- The average sperm count has decreased 50% from our grandfather’s generation.
- 12% of U.S. women have difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy full term.
- The steepest rise in infertility in the past thirteen years has been for women 25 and under, an increase of 41% for women in this age bracket.
PPNNE is a member of three coalitions dedicated to environmental health; The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Vermont, The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy New Hampshire, and The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. With each coalition, our goal is to pass legislation which would reduce our exposure to environmental contaminants at the state level. During the past legislative session, these coalitions worked to ban and reduce harmful contaminants, including Deca (a toxic flame retardant) and BPA (Bisphenol A, used in making plastics).