We’ve all been told that liberal use of sunscreen is essential to protect our skin from aging and cancer. But could some ingredients in sunscreen be affecting men’s fertility?
Couples Trying to Conceive
Researchers studied 500 couples that had just discontinued their contraception in order to start a pregnancy. Each person provided a urine specimen and the couples kept diaries of sexual activity until the woman became pregnant.
Analysis of chemicals in the men’s urine found that two benzophenones known as BP-2 and 4-hydroxyBP were associated with a significantly longer time needed to achieve pregnancy. These compounds are found in personal care products such as antiperspirants and aftershave; they could also be breakdown compounds from sunscreen ingredients.
This research is preliminary, but it does raise concern about the widespread use of endocrine disrupting chemicals.
