Reproductive Roulette
The Center for American Progress recently released a report entitled: “Reproductive Roulette: Declining Reproductive Health, Dangerous Chemicals, and a New Way Forward” and complimentary a fact sheet on dangerous chemicals and on their effect on our fertility. The author of the presentation Reese Rushing, is director of regulatory and information policy at American Progress.
This presentation gives you a comprehensive description of the decline in reproductive health, the chemicals that effect fertility, and gives us clear steps on how to protect ourselves from these chemicals. We highly suggest you take time to read it!
Here’s what I learned:
-“Average sperm count appears to have steadily declined since the 1930s. Women report an increasing number of fertility problems, including women under 25 and women between 25 and 34. Female fertility problems increased almost 2 percent from 1982.”
-“Poor and minority children are exposed to lead and other dangerous chemicals at the highest levels. About 310,000 U.S. children between ages 1 and 5 have blood lead levels above CDC's "safe level."
-“Consumer products are a major source of exposure. Adolescents are widely exposed to hormone-disrupting chemicals found in cosmetics as their reproductive systems mature.”
-“Stronger standards should be adopted to reduce human exposure to chemicals. Testing in Sweden found a 30 percent drop in PBDE levels in women's breast milk after stronger standards were adopted.”
At Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, we feel a responsibility as a health care organization to help our patients and communities make the link between human health and the products we use in our homes, in our schools, and on our bodies. This report is a great tool in helping to educate us and our patients.
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Tags: breast milk, CDC, Center for the America Progress, environmental health, fertility, PPNNE, reproductive health, sperm count
