Recent research by two Melbourne scientists says that exposure to the chemicals in most plastics might be why shrinking penises are on the rise.
This provocative study is based off a research project that analyses the effects of animals when exposed to the chemicals contained within most plastics, as well as continued research on male subjects in Australia.
Data collected in Australia shows that rates of hypospadias, a penis birth defect causing a range of issues with overall functionality, has doubled since 1980.
“When it’s doubling, it cannot be genetic defects – it takes years for that to spread through a population. So we know it has to be environmental in origin.”
The negative impacts on fertility and functionality are said to come from the chemicals that are released from plastics over extended periods of time. These chemicals have endocrine disrupting properties, and after exposure may mimic human sex hormones and have long-term impacts on male genitalia.
Renowned Professor Peter Sly, director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Children’s Health at the University of Queensland, believes that there is strong scientific evidence to support that exposure to the chemicals reduces sperm count and quality, and could possibly be reducing penis size.
According to a senior environmental scientist, Professor Frederic Leusch, even though the impacts of BPA’s and phthalates on humans is not agreed upon within the scientific community, the evidence supporting the effects of such chemicals on animals is very strong.
“We have clear, indubitable, mechanistic-linked evidence from animals this can happen. Humans are animals. And we know these chemicals are in our bodies. So it’s absolutely possible. But we still cannot be sure.”
In studies conducted on animals, exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy have had profound effects on offspring including, hypospadias, infertility, and undescended testes.
Apart from the risk of your shrinking manhood, single-use plastics pose a real threat to our future environmental stability. So to help everyone out, we’ve put together some great alternatives for everyday plastic items.
Sustainable alternatives
- Reusable coffee cups
- Reusable shopping bags
- Metal drinking straws
- Metal water bottles
- Reusable produce bags
- Eco cutlery
- Toothbrushes
- Takeaway containers
You can find a whole range of other plastic alternatives here.
