Dangers at Work or Home That Can Hurt Fertility

This content is from
page 232 of Where Women Have No Doctor

These dangers can hurt fertility in many ways—from the making of sperm and eggs to the birth of a healthy baby:

Contaminated air, food, or water caused by dangerous pesticides or toxic chemicals used in factories and farms.

Pesticides and other harmful chemicals can hurt sperm production...

...and if someone else washes the pesticide-covered work clothes, the harmful chemicals can hurt them too.

Smoking or chewing tobacco or drinking alcohol. People who smoke or chew tobacco or drink a lot of alcohol are more likely to have infertility. These substances may cause people to take longer to become pregnant, make fewer sperm, or make sperm that are less able to fertilize an egg.

Working in hot places, like near the hot engine of a truck for many hours, can kill sperm and cause temporary infertility.

High temperatures. When testicles get too warm they can stop making sperm. For example, this can happen if a person wears tight clothes that press the testicles against the body, takes hot baths, or works near hot things such as boilers, furnaces, or the hot engine of a long-distance truck—especially driving for many hours without a break. Once the testicles cool, they can make sperm again.
Body fat. People with either very low or very high body fat are more likely to have infertility, especially people who can become pregnant, because body fat can affect the menstrual cycle.
Medicines. Some medicines make it more difficult to get pregnant or cause a pregnancy. If you or your partner are trying to get pregnant, talk with your health worker about what medicines are OK for you to take.

This page was updated:13 Nov 2023

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