A lead apron is a protective garment which is designed to shield the body from harmful radiation, usually in the context of medical imaging. Both patients and medical personnel wear lead aprons, which are customized for a wide range of usages. As is the case with many protective garments, it is important to remember that a lead apron is only effective when it is worn properly and used in a safe and regularly inspected environment. Medical personnel also need to be properly trained in the use of imaging equipment which uses radiation, and untrained personnel are usually not permitted into diagnostic areas which use radioactive imaging techniques.

Lead is well suited for protection from radiation since it is an extremely dense element. It greatly reduces the number of gamma and x-rays which come into direct contact with the body, although a lead apron cannot, of course, stop all such rays. Some consumers may be familiar with a lead apron in the form of dental x-ray protection, in which case it is worn on the body while the teeth are being imaged, to protect the patient from radiation scatter.

Since medical personnel may perform large numbers of x-ray procedures every year, they wear lead aprons to protect themselves from scatter and background radiation. Usually, medical staff also wear tags which monitor their overall level of radiation exposure, and these tags are periodically read to ensure that the staff are not at risk of injury or illness. In the case of medical personnel, full lead protection is worn, since they do not want to expose any part of their bodies to radiation during medical procedures.

Patients, on the other hand, are subjected to x-rays and similar procedures as a diagnostic tool. Therefore, they wear incomplete lead shielding which protects parts of the body around the area of interest. This lead shielding often comes in the form of pads which can be arranged as needed. If a pregnant woman needs to undergo an x-ray procedure, she wears a maternity apron which is designed to shield her fetus from x-rays, due to concern about x-ray exposure being extremely harmful to developing babies.

When wearing full lead protection, it is important to make sure that a lead apron fits snugly and securely, and that it does not have rips or tears. Large breasted women in particular need to be careful when fitting lead aprons, because they do not want to expose the sides of their breasts to harmful radiation. Since lead aprons come in a number of sizes and cuts, there is no reason to be improperly protected. Patients who suspect that they might be pregnant should inform medical personnel of this when medical imaging is under discussion, so that a doctor can decide whether or not the diagnostic procedure is worth the risk.