Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) has introduced the Health & Endocrine Research on Personal Care Products for Women (HER) Act, a bill aimed at funding research into the link between personal care products and reproductive health issues in Black and Latina women. 

The bill would create a federal grant program to study endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in many beauty and hygiene products marketed to women of color. These chemicals have been linked to serious conditions like uterine fibroids, infertility, and cancer. 

Brown said the HER Act will raise awareness, improve consumer safety, and address racial health disparities. “There is a clear nexus between unsafe products… and the higher incidence of reproductive health issues that we experience,” she said. 

Supporters of the bill include the Endocrine Society and the American Medical Women’s Association, who say the legislation is an important step toward protecting women’s health. 

To read more about the ‘HER’ Act, click here.