Demystify: 

> >That article is titled 'Pregnancy in the lab' and has some nice personal stories.
>
This is a fraught issue and I think that the article goes beyond providing nice personal stories to point to the need for a pro-actively supportive community for people who are involved in a newly pregnant relationship. From personal experience, I can attest that there are a lot of adjustments required for all of the partners in a pregnancy beyond the risk assessment factors outlined by the UCLA documents Craig points to. I appreciate that the Nature article addresses this social dimension of the situation by pointing out that "community makes the difference.' In the best cases, that community includes lab co-workers.

I believe that changes in the health and personal status of lab workers, whether due to pregnancy, long Covid, or a lab acquired allergy or infection are tests of the safety culture of a lab setting. Is the lab group able to adjust to changes in the health circumstances of its members as they evolve? The article notes that "It is key that the whole research ecosystem work collectively for positive change and a culture where taking time for your family is valued and respected."

I hope that the insights of this article are someday incorporated into lab cultures enough that lab workers are comfortable in sharing their health changes without feeling that they are putting their status in the lab at risk. I have seen too many cases where grad students, faculty, professional lab staff and others are afraid to disclose relevant health conditions. As Craig notes, this issue is complex and not well dealt with by the legal system and institutions' responses to the laws' ambiguities. The culture of a group needs to step up and address these concerns in a helpful way.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org

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