Reproductive Health

 Reproductive Health

Introduction

Reproductive health refers to the condition of male and female reproductive systems during all life stages. These systems are made of organs and hormone-producing glands, including the pituitary gland in the brain. Ovaries in females and testicles in males are reproductive organs, or gonads, that maintain health of their respective systems. They also function as glands because they produce and release hormones.

Reproductive disorders affect millions of Americans each year.

Female disorders include:

1. Early or delayed puberty.

2. Endometriosis, a condition where the tissue that normally lines the inside of the womb, known as the endometrium, grows outside of it.

3. Inadequate breastmilk supply.

Infertility or reduced fertility (difficulty getting pregnant).

Menstrual problems including heavy or irregular bleeding.

4. Polycystic ovary syndrome, ovaries produce more male hormones than normal.

5. Problems during pregnancy.

Uterine fibroids, noncancerous growths in a woman’s uterus or womb.

Male disorders include:

Impotence or erectile dysfunction.

Low sperm count.

lead to low birth weight 10 , early onset of puberty, and obesity. 11

BPA and breastfeeding – Women who had more contact with bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical found in many plastics, were more likely to report that they stopped breastfeeding because they believed they were not producing enough breastmilk. 12

Phthalates, parabens, and phenols associated with early puberty – The daughters of pregnant women whose bodies had high levels of these chemicals (common in personal care products) started puberty earlier than normal. 13

Soy formula and menstrual pain – Girls who were fed soy formula as infants are more likely to develop heavy menstrual bleeding 14 , severe menstrual pain 15 , endometriosis 16 , and larger fibroids 17 later in life.

Vitamin D and uterine fibroids – Women with adequate levels of vitamin D are less likely to develop uterine fibroids than those with inadequate levels. 18

Uterine cancer – Women who used chemical hair-straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to research from The Sister Study that included more than 33,000 women. The researchers found that women who reported frequent use of hair-straightening products, defined as more than four times in the previous year, were more than twice as likely to go on to develop uterine cancer compared to those who did not use the products. Uterine cancer is relatively rare and accounts for about 3% of all new cancer cases. But it is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system.

NIEHS Research Efforts

Calorie Restriction, Environment, and Fitness: Reproductive Effects Evaluation (CaREFREE) – A study, conducted at NIEHS, that investigates how nutrition, fitness, and environmental factors affect women’s menstrual cycles.

Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) Study – Conducted by grantees in Massachusetts, analyzes the effects of environmental contaminants on male and female fertility and pregnancy outcomes.

LifeCodes – A pregnancy cohort, led by Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, providing samples and data from more than 5,000 pregnancies for research projects such as investigating the association between environmental exposures and spontaneous preterm birth. It is one of the nation’s largest pregnancy cohorts and specimen banks.

Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) – A consortium of researchers at NIEHS, and around the world, that studies how environmental exposures in early life affect pregnancy outcomes and child health.

Reproductive System Disorders – NIEHS supports research that is developing a fuller understanding of the relationship between exposures and risk of reproductive health problems. For example, grantees are studying the effects of arsenic exposure on birth outcomes; ties between dioxin exposure and endometriosis; and the role endocrine disruptors might play in sperm chromosomal abnormalities.

Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF) – A study conducted at NIEHS that uses ultrasound screening to identify risk factors for uterine fibroid development in African-American women.