How Microplastics May Be Threatening Women's Sexual Health
People ingest about 5 grams of plastic weekly, and it's showing up inside women's ovaries.
Microplastics have been linked to PCOS, endometriosis, and obesity.
Microplastics can suppress the genes women need to produce testosterone, which can reduce libido.
Here's a fact that might shock you. A 2021 study found you may be ingesting up to 5 grams of plastic every week. That's roughly equal to the weight of a plastic credit card. It's in your bottled water, your seafood, your table salt, and even the air you breathe. And now scientists are finding plastics inside the female reproductive system.
Microplastics are produced by the breakdown of larger plastic items such as water bottles, food storage containers, and store receipts. We've known for some time that they've infiltrated our oceans and our food supply. What's alarming is where they travel once they’re inside us.
They've Found Plastic Inside Women's Eggs
Microplastics have been found in ovarian follicular fluid. This is the liquid that surrounds a woman’s eggs as they grow and mature inside the ovaries. Even worse, the level of microplastics average over 2,000 particles per milliliter of fluid. That’s a lot of plastic, right next to their eggs.
The study that reported this also found a connection between higher microplastic levels and elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH is a hormone produced in the brain that tells the ovaries to grow and release eggs. When FSH is elevated, it usually means the ovaries are struggling to produce eggs and the body is working harder to compensate.
And follicular fluid isn't the only place microplastics are showing up. The lining of the uterus has also been found to be contaminated with multiple types of plastics, including polyethylene (the plastic........
