The influence of environmental factors on woman's reproductive health

Introduction. The environment undoubtedly affects the physiological processes in human body, which may be both beneficial and harmful. From 2011 to 2021, the incidence of female infertility in Russia increased by 30 % reaching 789.1 cases per 100,000 women in 2021.

Aim: to assess an impact of environmental factors including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) on women's reproductive health by assessing available publications.

Materials and Methods. Available studies were searched through the scientific literature databases until April 2024 by revealing 5,732 articles in the PubMed/MEDLINE database, 6,587 in Google Scholar and 2,350 in eLibrary. The publications were selected in accordance with PRISMA recommendations. The current review included 90 publications.

Results. Fertility experimental and epidemiological studies showed that environmental factors such as climate, temperature, seasonality, radiation, air pollution, diet and energy balance, working environment, bad habits (e.g. smoking), EDC (plasticizers, heavy metals, parabens, pesticides, industrial chemicals and their by-products, medicines, perfluorochemicals, antibacterial agents) may be associated with impaired female reproductive function.

Conclusion. Environmental factors, including EDC, have a significant impact on women's reproductive health and can negatively affect fertility. The main findings of current research confirm a need to raise awareness of the risks associated with exposure to chemicals on women's body.

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