Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) are water and grease-resistant chemicals found in a wide range of consumer products and in our drinking water. A recent study known as the Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Material and Child Outcomes (S-PRESTO) found that higher exposure to PFAS chemicals were associated with reduced probability for clinical pregnancy and live birth. 

PFAS disrupts the reproductive hormones, which in women can lead to increased risk for endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as decreased fertility in women who are otherwise healthy. In men, PFAS exposure has been linked to lowered testosterone and semen quality, but these correlations have not been studied as much as the effects on their female counterparts.  

PFAS not only affects couples trying to conceive but also their unborn child. PFAS exposure begins in utero and transfers from the mother to the fetus through cord blood, the placenta, and/or breast milk. 

The results of these studies serve as insight for those trying to conceive and how PFAS may be affecting them.