Study: BPA Linked to Impotence in Men
Men exposed to high levels of the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) at work are up to seven times more likely to suffer from impotence and other sexual problems, according to a new study.
The study conducted by researchers at Kaiser Permanente is the first to link BPA to reproductive problems in humans, following other studies which found a connection to similar problems in laboratory mice, according to a WebMD report.
BPA has been used for decades to make clear plastic bottles and other products shatter resistant. It is also used in the lining of many canned foods and a wide range of other commercial goods, WebMD reports.
The controversial hormone-mimicking chemical has been making headlines recently for causing developmental delays and other serious health problems in developing children fed from plastic bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. Exposure to BPA also has been shown to cause aggressive behavior in girls.
Federal, state, and local governments across the United States have enacted bans on children’s products with BPA. U.S. health officials recently announced the launching of a $30 million study to examine the effects of BPA on people.
Chinese Workers Studied
The new study was based on male factory workers in China, some of whom had been exposed to extremely high amounts of BPA at work. Levels of BPA detected in the men who had been exposed to the chemical were about 50 times higher than the average level found in American workers and Chinese men who had not worked with the chemical.
Researchers found BPA-exposed workers were four times more likely to report problems with erectile dysfunction, reduced sex drive, and lower sexual satisfaction compared to unexposed workers. The exposed workers also were seven times more likely to suffer from premature ejaculation, the study said.
More Study Needed to Confirm Link
More study is needed to further investigate the apparent link between elevated levels of BPA and sexual dysfunction in men, researchers said. However, they said their study pokes holes in theories that BPA does not cause adverse health effects in people.
“We also need to study lower levels of exposure closer to those consumers get,” the study’s authors said, according to WebMD. “But up until this point the critics have dismissed the idea that BPA has health effects at any level because most of the research has been in animals. They can no longer do this.”
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