Are toxins in your home causing infertility?

Is there a link between infertility and environmental toxins?
Although scientists and others speculate that infertility can result from exposure to any of a number of environmental toxins, the evidence is scarce and inconclusive, especially in women.

For example, researchers have shown that average sperm density (number of sperm per milliliter of semen) has declined dramatically over the past 60 years all over the world. It has been dropping steadily at 1 to 3 million sperm per milliliter per year, from more than 100 million sperm per milliliter in 1938 to less than 70 million sperm per milliliter in 1990. It is not exactly clear what has caused the decline, but it may be at least partially linked to exposure to various environmental toxins. Importantly, many scientists argue that it is not clear whether reduced sperm density causes infertility or not and that even though sperm density has been on the decline, it may not mean anything with regards to infertility.

The link between environmental exposure and infertility remains an important area of scientific research.

At least 50 chemicals in widespread industrial use have demonstrably negative effects on reproductive function in animals. Yet only four workplace health hazards -- lead, ionizing radiation, ethylene oxide, and dibromo chloropropane (DBCP) -- are regulated in the United States partly because of their effects on human reproduction.

Exposure to possible reproductive hazards occurs in four separate ways:

* at the workplace (e.g., industrial byproducts)

* in the home (e.g., paint)

* through personal factors (e.g., cigarettes, alcohol)

* in the environment (e.g., pesticides)

With that said, did you know that Lysol is a registered Pesticide?

According to the March of Dimes, one in twelve children is born with a congenital defect. Environmental factors, including exposure to toxic chemicals, cause 7% to 11% of these defects. 60% of birth defects have unknown causes, but toxic chemical are suspected in those cases as well.

High levels of toxins have been found in many women with endometriosis.

We know that many miscarriages happen every year, and that, in many cases, a miscarriage is the body's recognition of a defect in the fetus. Could it be that toxins are causing birth defects your body is picking up on?