Endocrine Disruption and Reproductive Outcomes in Women

TL;DRAbstract

Infertility and associated problems of the female reproductive tract, such as endometriosis, abnormal menstrual cycles, and premature menopause, are diagnosed in women of reproductive age. For this reason, reproductive problems are usually considered to be “adult” conditions. Whereas, some female reproductive problems are the result of contaminant exposures during adulthood, there is increasing evidence that exposures early in life can result in permanent and irreversible changes to the reproductive tract, which are not manifest until decades later. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) early in life may alter development of the reproductive tract and hormonal responsiveness in adulthood (1,2). Coupled with this evidence are a number of disturbing trends in some geographic regions, including a reduction in fertility, an increase in hormone-sensitive cancers, an earlier age of puberty in girls, and a decrease in the number

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper