If you’re a dude planning to have a kid in the near or distant future, you should know that chemicals in products most men use daily may damage the count and quality of their sperm.
Phthalates are chemicals that are found in pretty much everything under the sun – shampoo, air fresheners, laundry detergent, insect repellent, shower curtains, raincoats, shaving cream, even water!
A study by UMass Amherst, led by Richard Pilsner, found that sperm maturation – a process that takes 72 days – can be affected by phthalates, as they alter the proteins that make up genetic material.
This can negatively affect sperm and could potentially affect their viability. However, there’s still a lot of research to be done, as it’s still unclear what exact effect phthalates have on sperm, and whether they affect early development of children after birth.