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Chemical substances are found everywhere in our environment. Whether it be at home, outdoors, or in the workplace, we are continuously coming into contact with various chemicals through our air, water, food, cosmetics, clothes, personal care products and everyday household items. As our detection methods improve, we are forced to confront the evidence of these exposures: biomonitoring studies now show that nearly everyone has measurable amounts of almost all known toxic chemicals stored somewhere in their bodies.
At the same time, we are witnessing a rise in incidence of a number of diseases and disorders in men, women and children. These include some cancers, irreversible developmental and neurodevelopmental syndromes, reproductive disorders, and a number of autoimmune diseases . Many scientists, environmental groups and health practitioners suggest that the environment significantly contributes to many of these conditions.
There is also growing evidence that these exposures affect different bodies in different ways, due to the fact that people’s lives and health are influenced by both biological (sex-related) and social (gender-related) factors. Not only do women, men, boys and girls possess different vulnerabilities to exposure based on biology; they also face different health risks based on gendered practices, socioeconomic and cultural circumstances, structural disparities in access to basic resources, varied health-seeking behaviours, and different responses from health systems leading to diverse health outcomes.