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Occupational Reproductive Health Risks Among Women Healthcare Workers: A Narrative Review for Clinical Surveillance,
Oh-Hyun Kwon1, Gyu-Jin Sim1, Sun-Haeng Choi2,3
1Graduate School of Safety Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Healthcare workers face reproductive risks from occupational exposures like antineoplastic agents. This review offers a framework for counseling and managing risks during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Reproductive Toxicology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Existing reviews on occupational reproductive risks in healthcare settings often focus on single agents and lack clinical integration.
- There's a need to translate occupational hygiene evidence into practical frameworks for reproductive counseling and surveillance for healthcare workers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize evidence on reproductive risks from multiple occupational exposures in healthcare settings.
- To propose an integrated, clinically operational framework for managing reproductive health in women healthcare workers.
Main Methods:
- A structured narrative literature search was conducted across major databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase).
- The review utilized Population-Exposure-Comparison-Outcome (PECO) and Search-Appraisal-Synthesis-Analysis (SALSA) principles.
- Evidence quality was assessed using a modified hierarchy-of-evidence classification.
Main Results:
- Strongest evidence links antineoplastic agents to spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, congenital abnormalities, and impaired fecundability.
- High-level disinfectants (HLDs) and sterilants show possible adverse effects on fecundability and early pregnancy, but evidence is heterogeneous.
- Workplace factors like shift work and prolonged hours may also contribute to reproductive risks.
Conclusions:
- A multi-exposure, clinically operational framework is presented to bridge occupational hygiene and reproductive healthcare.
- The framework includes tools for occupational history-taking, risk stratification, and a prevention matrix.
- Integrating occupational history into routine care can improve detection and management of preventable workplace risks for women healthcare workers.
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