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Reproductive Harm
Infertility is a general term for a wide variety of medical conditions. In males, infertility usually takes the form of a low sperm cell count. In females, subfertility is typically the result of ovarian disturbances. These ovarian disturbances are the most closely linked to chemical exposure. As many as 35 chemicals used as pesticide bases “negatively impact the female ovarian cycle” (NCBI, BioMED Central, 2006). Usually this negative effect is caused by either changes in hormonal chemistry or overstrained immune systems. Chemical imbalances in the body commonly harm the reproductive system due to the direct use of hormones to control bodily functions. Overall, pesticides pose a significant harm to human reproductive health.
In 1996 that EPA released a study connecting over-exposure to certain chemicals to an increase in birth defects and subfertility in couples. Subfertility is commonly defined as the inability of a couple to conceive a child after 12 months of regular unprotected sex and affects around 10-15% of couples in the Western world (NCBI, Gnotch C, 2005). While this study only looked at individuals who were exposed to levels of chemicals above the typical amount, it did link chemicals commonly used in commercially available pesticides, like ammonia and arsenic, to the increased risk of subfertility NCBI, Reini W. Bretveld, 2006).
