Women who want to get pregnant should check out the levels of phthalates they’re exposed to—and that includes the drugs they’re taking.
Phthalates are chemicals that are found in household products, such as shampoo, makeup, vinyl flooring and toys, and from drugs such as aspirin.
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors which interfere with our hormones—and make it more difficult for a woman to conceive.
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst analysed the impact of phthalates from low-dose aspirin on a group of 1228 women who were trying to get pregnant. They discovered that the chemical from the drugs was interfering with menstrual cycles.
The women had an average of 20 phthalates in the urine before they started the trial, and the time it took to get pregnant increased with the growing number of phthalates they had during the time of the trial. “As exposure got bigger, we saw more and more of an effect,” said Carrie Nobles, one of the researchers.
The phthalates were also causing inflammation, which can cause organ and tissue damage in the long term.
Although some phthalates have been banned in Europe, the US still allows manufacturers to use the chemicals without restriction. It’s time for the US to review the practice, says Nobles. “Maybe we want to think differently about our regulatory system and how we identify important exposures that are having an adverse effect on whether people can get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy.”
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