Traveling while pregnant often brings up questions about safety, particularly when navigating airport security checkpoints. Concerns about the potential effects of screening devices on a developing fetus are common. Scientific and regulatory bodies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have consistently evaluated these technologies. The equipment currently used in airport security is safe for pregnant travelers and poses no known risk to the unborn child. These devices are regulated to ensure exposure levels are far below established international safety limits.
Understanding Walk-Through Metal Detectors
The walk-through metal detector (WTMD) gates are one of the most familiar parts of the security process. These devices function by generating a low-frequency electromagnetic field to detect metal objects. This mechanism employs a form of non-ionizing radiation, which means the energy is too low to cause changes at the cellular level, unlike X-rays.
The electromagnetic fields emitted by WTMDs are similar to those produced by many common household appliances, such as refrigerators or hair dryers. Safety studies confirm that the fields generated are extremely weak and dissipate rapidly outside the archway. Passing through the metal detector exposes the traveler to fields well below limits set by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO).
This minimal, transient exposure has been studied extensively and found to present no measurable hazard to the fetus at any stage of pregnancy. Pregnant travelers can proceed through the metal detector archway without concern. The hand-held metal detector wands used for secondary screening also operate on the same low-frequency electromagnetic principles and are similarly considered safe.
Advanced Imaging Technology Scanners
Modern airport security also features Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scanners, often referred to as full-body scanners. These machines primarily use millimeter-wave technology, a form of non-ionizing radiofrequency energy. Millimeter-wave scanners work by bouncing radio waves off the body’s surface to create an image, and they do not penetrate the skin beyond a few millimeters.
The energy emitted during a single millimeter-wave scan is thousands of times less than the transmission from a typical cell phone. This minimal radiofrequency exposure poses no risk of radiation harm to the fetus.
Even the older backscatter X-ray scanners, which are largely phased out of U.S. airports, were deemed safe for pregnant individuals. Backscatter technology uses a very low-dose of ionizing radiation, but the dose delivered is negligible. The radiation exposure from one backscatter scan is significantly less than the amount a person receives from two minutes of flying at cruising altitude.
Requesting Alternative Screening Procedures
While all current screening technologies are considered safe, pregnant passengers always have the option to refuse the AIT scanner screening. This is a traveler’s right and is accommodated by security personnel upon request. Opting out of the AIT scanner will result in an alternative screening procedure.
The alternative procedure is typically a physical pat-down, which is conducted by a security officer of the same gender. Travelers may request that this screening be performed in a private area, away from the main checkpoint. Choosing a pat-down is a personal preference, and not a medical necessity, given the established safety of the scanning devices.