Most people envision a hospital as a squeaky-clean, hypoallergenic environment.
But hospitals and other places that use natural rubber products are off-limits to the millions of Americans who are allergic to latex. Little known before the late 1980s, diagnoses of latex allergies increased as AIDS and hepatitis fears caused an explosion of latex glove use in health care. Substitute with silicone products. Erasers, craft supplies, make-up and Halloween masks, adhesives. Substitute by looking for products labeled vinyl or silicone.