Use of Scented Menstrual Products Correlated with Increased Endometrial Cancer Risk in Low-Educated American Women

Endometrial cancer (EC) is cancer of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. Since endometrial cancer is the most prevalent cancer of the female reproductive system in Americans with alarming mortality rates, research into the risk factors and causes of EC is vital to develop preventative measures and treatments (Crosbie et al., 2022). In the United States, low-educated women have an increased risk for endometrial cancer, although the precise cause is largely unknown. Although risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and high waist-to-hip ratio have been identified as contributors to the high endometrial cancer rates in low-educated women specifically, we aim to identify more direct explanatory factors (Wang et al., 2022). One factor of interest is scented menstrual products: recent studies have found high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in scented menstrual products (Ding et al., 2022). Of these VOCs, ethylbenzene and styrene are identified as possible carcinogens and are found at significantly higher levels in scented menstrual products as compared to unscented products (Lin et al., 2020). Due to the high permeability of vaginal tissue, these VOCs may be leaking into female vaginal tissue and contributing to endometrial cancer (Ding et al., 2022). Lowly educated women are found to have higher rates of scented menstrual product usage than those with higher education levels (Zota et al., 2023), revealing a possible correlation between scented menstrual product usage and increased endometrial cancer risk in this demographic. Given the heightened risk of endometrial cancer in low-educated American women, this paper will examine the potential correlation between scented menstrual product usage and endometrial cancer risk in low-educated American women via a literature analysis.