Robert Hamilton, PhD, professor of medicine and pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, was a member of the Latex Task Force at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Below, Dr. Hamilton discusses natural rubber latex allergy and the efforts to minimize exposure to it.
What is latex?
Latex, also known as natural rubber latex, is a white milky substance. Most of the world's rubber comes from the H. braziliensis tree, which is primarily grown in Southeast Asia. This plant, also known as the rubber tree, produces a particular latex that contains polyisoprene, which is essentially rubber.
When we say "latex," I really think we need to focus on the term "natural rubber" because "latex" is also a term used by manufacturers to describe a substance which when put on a surface creates a single layer. Latex paint, for example, doesn't contain natural rubber and therefore it poses no risk for exposure to latex allergic individuals.
What type of products is latex found in?
Most rubber products are one of two different types. One type is dipped rubber products, which are manufactured by a mold that is dipped into a vat of natural rubber latex. Dipped rubber products would include condoms, toy balloons and medical gloves.
The second type of product is a molded rubber product, where the latex rubber is allowed to harden, and then it is rolled out and the components are either stamped or cut out. Molded rubber products would be exemplified by rubber stoppers in pharmaceutical vials.
