When talking about the risk of shaving, most men will usually only confuse about injuries. But a new study found a more serious risk of shaving, when using a particular shaving cream product: decreased sperm count.
A study from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst found, phthalates, a type of chemical compound commonly found in shaving cream and other personal hygiene products, has a detrimental effect on the ability of a man to reproduce.
The study team studied 48 couples they recruited from the IVF clinic (IVF). They collect urine samples from men on the same day they donate sperm, then analyze their phthalate levels.
The findings of the researchers, phthalate can alter the DNA in the sperm by attaching a converting compound to the protein-forming genetic material. This can have the opposite effect on sperm and on the offspring produced from the sperm.
The danger, according to Richard Pilsner, lead researcher's health researcher, emerged in a period when sperm was produced and matured in the testes. If a man has high levels of phthalate at the time, it is likely that his sperm will be affected.
That is, there will be a decrease in the number of sperm.
Prospective fathers need to be vigilant
"There has always been a concern for pregnant women not to smoke or drink alcohol, to protect their fetuses," said Pilsner, Men's Health, Thursday (28/09/2017). The results of this study found, men also have the same concern.
It takes 72 days for the sperm to mature, men so vulnerable exposure from the environment, such as this phthalates.
The researchers found 131 genetic regions affected by phthalates, mostly related to genes that regulate cell growth, development, and function. However, researchers are still unsure, what phthalates actually do to sperm DNA.
However, if Pilsner's research is correct, it's good for men who want to be fathers not to use products that contain phthalates for three months, or before actually trying to have children.
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