As reported in the New York Times, male fertility is more sensitive to environmental toxins than female fertility.
To study the impact of everyday chemicals on fertility, federal researchers recently spent four years tracking 501 couples as they tried to have children. One of the findings stood out: while both men and women were exposed to known toxic chemicals, men seemed much more likely to suffer fertility problems as a result.
The gender gap was particularly wide when it came to phthalates, those ubiquitous compounds used to make plastics more flexible and cosmetic lotions slide on more smoothly. Women who wore cosmetics often had higher levels of phthalates in their bodies, as measured by urinalysis. But only in their male partners were phthalate levels correlated with infertility.
Phthalates belong to a group of industrial compounds known as endocrine disruptors because they interfere with the endocrine system, which governs the production and distribution of hormones in the body. The chemicals have been implicated in a range of health problems, including birth defects, cancers and diabetes.
But it is their effect on the human reproductive system that has most worried researchers. A growing body of work over the last two decades suggests that phthalates can rewire the male reproductive system, interfering with the operation of androgenic hormones, such as testosterone, that play key roles in male development. That mechanism, some experts believe, explains findings that link phthalate exposure to changes in everything from testicular development to sperm quality.
Other common toxins which men expose themselves to include smoking, alcohol, caffeine, marijuana and steroids for bodybuilding. There is not much men and women can do to avoid phthalates which are ubiquitous in the environment.
Both men and women who are planning to conceive should examine their habits and stop those which may have an adverse effect on their fertility. In addition they may want to adopt some pro-fertility strategies like prenatal vitamins for the woman, making sure both are at a normal weight, engage in moderate exercise and eat a good, balanced diet.