268860 Clinicians and their role in reproductive environmental health

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 1:10 PM - 1:30 PM

Jessica Trowbridge, MPH , Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, CA
Patrice Sutton, MPH , Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, CA
Naomi Stotland, MD , Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Annemarie Charlesworth, MA , National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Dylan Atchley , Program on Reproductive Healt and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, Oakland, CA
Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH , Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, CA
Virtually every pregnant woman in the United States has measurable levels of multiple chemicals in her body that can harm human reproduction and development. Chemical exposures during the prenatal period can have effects across the life span of individuals, ranging from short term effects such as birth defects to long term effects such as adult cancers. Thus, preventing harmful exposures incurred during the preconception and prenatal periods can have a lifetime of health benefits. Obstetricians and other reproductive health professionals are uniquely poised to intervene at key points of development for women's and children's health. To leverage this largely untapped opportunity to prevent developmental exposure to reproductive and developmental toxicants, in 2008 the University of California San Francisco's Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) formed the From Advancing Science to Ensuring Prevention (FASTEP) Alliance. The goal of FASTEP is to secure each and everyone's right to optimal reproductive health by fostering environments that prevent exposure to potential reproductive toxicants and provide the nutritive and social sustenance necessary for healthy pregnancies, children, adults, and future generations.

This presentation will describe: (1) the results of FASTEP activities over the past 4 years to engage reproductive health professionals in the prevention of harmful environmental exposures in clinical and policy arenas; (2) preliminary data on the first empirical data gathered to assess obstetricians' beliefs, attitudes and practice about environmental health; and (3) limitations and strengths of this prevention strategy.

Learning Areas:
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Environmental health sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the role of obstetricians and other reproductive health professionals in preventing harmful environmental exposures. 2. Describe opportunities and challenges which to engage reproductive health professionals in environmental health practice and advocacy.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Children's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked in public health and education for the past 6 years. The emphasis of my studies have been on environmental health and my interests are in reproductive environmental health. I joined UCSF-PRHE in 2011 where I am the director of the From Advancing Science to Ensuring Preventions(FASTEP) Alliance; a network of clinicians scientists, and advocates to change clinical care and advance public health policy.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.