Should I Be Shielded During Radiologic Imaging?

If you’ve had X-ray imaging done in the past, you may remember having a lead shield laid over part of your body to prevent radiation from reaching areas that are not being imaged. In the 1950s, radiologists began shielding patients’ reproductive organs as well as the wombs of pregnant patients because they were unsure what long-term effects X-ray exposure may have on reproductive cells or a developing fetus.