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.
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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!
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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.