Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) provides guidelines for UW personnel who are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) and who may be exposed to certain biological agents that can increase the risk of reproductive hazards.
Exposure to certain biological agents can cause infertility, miscarriage, birth defects and other adverse effects to the developing fetus. A new Biological Reproductive Hazards Focus Sheet was developed to help you identify and understand the risks of reproductive hazards, including a table of known biological reproductive hazards and their potential adverse effects.
If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, we recommend you take the following steps:
- Contact your healthcare provider to discuss your personal health risks when working with any hazardous agents.
- Refer to the Reproductive Hazard Guidelines for detailed information on all types of reproductive hazards, and questions to ask your healthcare provider.
- The UW Employee Health Center is available to review reproductive hazards and mitigation strategies. Our providers and occupational health specialists can advise on safe practices to prevent exposure.
Contact the EH&S Employee Health Center at emplhlth@uw.edu or 206-625-1026 for more information.