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Exposure to air pollution in utero may affect reproductive health in men: Study
Updated On: 28 November, 2023 08:10 AM IST | New York | IANS
These findings suggest air pollution may interfere with normal hormone activity during critical periods of prenatal and early infant development, and the scientists suspect that disruption may have long-term consequences for reproductive health
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Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock
While pollution has been known to cause infertility among women and even impact the unborn foetus, a new study showed that prenatal exposure to bad air may hurt men’s reproductive health too. Cross-sectional studies in adult men and women have shown that alterations in anogenital distance -- the length between genitals and the anus -- may be related to hormone levels as well as semen quality, fertility and reproductive disorders.
In animal studies, anogenital distance is used to determine developmental toxicity of pollutants. One measurable impact is on the reproductive system. When anogenital distance is reduced in male offspring, it`s a sign that a toxic exposure is interfering with foetal testosterone production, said lead author Emily Barrett, Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health.
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