A guide to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in fertility

Here’s what you need to know when patients raise the subject of EDCs
Dr Mark Green

Over the past 60 years human fertility rates have declined dramatically in Western countries, with one in six couples now requiring medical assistance to conceive.1

Underpinning this silent fertility epidemic is a trend to delay starting a family and changes in lifestyle factors. The latter includes the well-described effects of a poor diet and a lack of exercise.

In addition, recently there has been a growing appreciation for how increased exposure to man-made environmental toxicants, specifically endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), can negatively affect fertility.

The effects of environmental toxicants, including EDCs, on fertility is an increasingly debated topic, although there is now substantial evidence that they detrimentally affect reproductive capability.