The higher the levels of phthalates — endocrine-disrupting compounds found in plastic bottles, laundry detergents, food and many personal care products — in a man’s sperm, the less likely a couple was to have high-quality embryos during an IVF procedure, researchers found.
Not only was there an inverse association between quality of blastocysts and the amount of certain types of phthalates in a man’s urine, but high concentrations of phthalates also lowered the likelihood of quality transferable embryos during an assisted reproductive cycle, reported Haotian Wu, MPH, of University of Massachusetts, and colleagues, writing in Human Reproduction.
