A historical perspective of some occupationally related diseases of women.

The study of occupational diseases among women has been minimal, and when observations of adverse health effects have been made, they often have been obscured, ignored, or mismanaged. Occupational exposures of women to beryllium, benzene, and vinyl chloride serve as past examples of indifference to the plight of women in the workplace. The lack of regulation for waste anesthetic gases and antineoplastic drugs to protect health care workers and veterinarians indicates that this indifference continues today.