Accelerators are chemicals that accomplish the same end. They include carbamates, thiurams, and mercaptobenzothiazoles. Antioxidants, such as phenols, prevent air and ozone from causing the rubber to become brittle over time. These many constituents afford the unfortunate reality of many kinds of medical reactions. The rise in frequency is often blamed on the increased use of rubber gloves for protection against exposure to AIDS virus present in the bodily fluids of patients.
Reactions fall into three groups.
The first is basically chemical and mechanical irritation, but does not actually involve the immune system directly. To picture delayed cutaneous sensitivity, which is due to the T-cells in our immune systems, one should envision poison ivy. There is skin contact, such as hand to ivy or hand to glove. In the case of latex, it is usually in response to the chemicals added during processing and production. The reaction occurs where the skin was contacted, or where spread to other skin touched by the originally contacted skin.