Bisphenol A, abbreviated BPA, is a common component in many plastics and is considered a hormone disruptor. A study presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting showed that when male mice are exposed to BPA, fertility suffers. Sperm counts were lower and testosterone levels dropped. More significantly, the litters these mice fathered were 50 percent smaller.
Another study presented at this meeting demonstrated that female monkeys exposed to BPA before birth had detectable changes in uterine development. Although the impact of long-term exposure to BPA on fertility remains controversial, experts are cautioning pregnant women to reduce their exposure to this chemical if at all possible.
[Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting]
The People's Perspective on Medicine