CDC Begins National Health Survey on Talc Exposure

A new federal survey will gather information from all over the country about the usage of talcum powder and its possible ties to cancer and breathing problems

Friday, August 22, 2025 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the start of a countrywide health survey into talc exposure. This is a big step forward in the public health response to concerns about talcum powder. The study will ask thousands of Americans about their lifetime usage of talc-containing goods, such as baby powder, to learn more about possible connections between talc exposure and deadly diseases like ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. Baby powder cancer attorneys and consumer advocates have been putting more and more pressure on the corporations that make talcum powder to alert people about the health concerns. There are currently tens of thousands of baby powder cancer lawsuits in courtrooms all over the country. The CDC's work could finally give us the big data we need to look at how people who use talc-based goods get sick. The study will ask about personal hygiene, work exposure, and family health history to get a general idea of how talc may be harming public health in the US, according to early reports.

A recent statement from the CDC says that the study would be added to the agency's National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES), which already keeps track of health trends in the US. The CDC wants to fill a gap in national statistics and give new information that hasn't been available in past research by adding questions on talc exposure. Officials say the goal is to find any links between using talc for a long time and getting cancer or respiratory problems more often. This comes after other federal agencies, like the National Institutes of Health, found more evidence. For example, they recently published research that found a link between long-term vaginal use of talc and a higher risk of ovarian cancer. The CDC's new poll will be voluntary and confidential, but the information will be used to back up future public safety campaigns and health policy suggestions. Epidemiologists and statisticians will look at answers from people of all ages, genders, races, and income levels to figure out which groups may have been particularly at risk. Researchers want to find out how marketing, product availability, and lack of public knowledge may have led to long-term talc use in different groups by keeping track of this information.

The national talc exposure study might be the start of a new way for the U.S. to keep an eye on product safety and public health. For years, court cases and expert testimony have tried to show that talcum powder is more harmful than people thought. Now that the CDC is involved, health officials and regulators will have more solid information to work with. If the results of this study support what many baby powder cancer lawyers have been saying for years, there may be new warning labels, tighter rules, or even a ban on the product. It could also help decide how to spend research money in the future, directing scientists to look more closely at how talc affects human tissue over time. The CDC's choice to make talc exposure a national health issue illustrates that the tide is moving in favor of openness, prevention, and protecting consumers.