Bill Overview
Title: Robin Danielson Menstrual Product and Intimate Care Product Safety Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support research on the extent to which components (including contaminants and substances used as fragrances, colorants, dyes, and preservatives) in menstrual products and intimate care products pose health risks to people who use the products or to the children of people who use the products during or before pregnancy.
Sponsors: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals who use menstrual and intimate care products
Estimated Size: 100000000
- The bill concerns menstrual and intimate care products, implying the primary impacted population is those who use these products. This broadly includes individuals who menstruate.
- This population primarily comprises females of reproductive age, typically from early teens to menopause, potentially including individuals undergoing gender transition.
- The population also includes people in post-reproductive age who might use intimate care products.
- Individuals who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are specifically mentioned due to potential impacts on their children.
- Secondary impacts may include newborns and young children of users during or shortly after pregnancy due to potential transfer of chemicals.
- Global population of people who menstruate is approximately half of the female population, which is half of the global population, so approximately 1.9 billion people.
Reasoning
- We have focused on the intended primary population affected by this policy, which includes menstruating individuals and people using intimate care products.
- The Cantril wellbeing scores are estimated based on personal opinions on health risks related to these products and the potential psychological benefits of reducing such concerns.
- Given the budget, the policy is not likely to reach all users but may impact public awareness and research information, which can have a moderate impact over time.
- Considering demographic variety, we have included different age groups, including young, mid-age, and older individuals, potentially at different stages of health awareness and life planning.
- The policy might have lower immediate impact since it's a research-focused policy, with higher long-term influence as results may lead to more informed choices by product users.
- We included perspectives from individuals across different life stages to simulate varied levels of concern and wellbeing impact.
- We expect no immediate physical health benefits, focusing instead on possible long-term emotional/psychological impacts from increased safety knowledge.
Simulated Interviews
Graduate student (New York, NY)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I’m relieved that someone is finally looking into what exactly is in these products.
- I'm cautious. It seems like a step in the right direction for transparency.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Software developer (Austin, TX)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a mother, it's comforting to think that the safety of these products might become clearer.
- I wish they would have done this sooner.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Nurse (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad there's more focus on safety, even if this comes a bit late for me personally.
- This should help future generations and current young women make safer choices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High school student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Knowing that someone is looking into what all those long-named ingredients do is a relief.
- I hope this means safer options for my friends and me in the future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Barista (Seattle, WA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is super important for us who care about natural products and health.
- It confirms that going organic was a good choice.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Retired teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it’s important for future generations to be aware of what they’re using.
- This policy would have been very beneficial back when I was still working.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Yoga instructor (Denver, CO)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Great to know more research is being put into understanding product safety.
- Hopefully, there will be more natural products out there as a result.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
Marketing director (Houston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Knowing they are researching this gives me some peace of mind about possible past impacts.
- I’m hopeful my younger relatives will have safer products.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
College student (Salt Lake City, UT)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- So glad to know more research might make products safer!
- I want to promote transparency in all products.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Freelance writer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I write a lot about these issues, so this research is extremely relevant.
- I'm pleased to see money being invested into health research like this.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The research findings could lead to policy changes that may affect manufacturing standards for menstrual and intimate care products.
- Potential exposure to harmful chemicals within these products could lead to health system savings if the research informs FDA or other regulatory actions that improve public health.
- The population broadly using these products encompasses a significant segment of the U.S. population, suggesting widespread impact potential.