Toward a multi-country monitoring system of reproductive health in the context of endocrine disrupting chemical exposure: Table 1
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Worrying trends regarding human reproductive endpoints (e.g. semen quality, reproductive cancers) have been reported and there is growing circumstantial evidence for a possible causal link between these trends and exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). However, there is a striking lack of human data to fill the current knowledge gaps. To answer the crucial questions raised on human reproductive health, there is an urgent need for a reproductive surveillance system to be shared across countries. METHODS: A multidisciplinary network named HUman Reproductive health and Global ENvironment Network (HURGENT) was created aiming at designing a European monitoring system for reproductive health indicators. Collaborative work allowed setting up the available knowledge to design such a system. Furthermore we conducted an overview of 23 potential indicators, based upon a weight of evidence (WoE) approach according to their potential relation with EDC exposure. RESULTS: The framework and purposes of the surveillance system are settled as well as the approach to select suitable reproductive indicators. The indicators found with the highest scores according to the WoE approach are prostate and breast cancer incidence, sex ratio, endometriosis and uterine fibroid incidence, indicators related to the testicular dysgenesis syndrome, precocious puberty incidence and reproductive hormone levels. CONCLUSION: Not only sentinel health endpoints, but also diseases with high burdens in public health are highlighted as prior indicators in the context of EDC exposure. Our work can serve as a basis to construct, as soon as possible, the first multi-country reproductive monitoring system.
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Environmental factors, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides, play important roles in causing the observed decline in fertility.
“Moreover, both male and female reproductive health is deteriorating, especially in industrialized regions, suggesting important roles of environmental factors, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides, in causing the observed decline in fertility (Le Moal et al., 2016; Skakkebæk et al., 2022).”
From Declining global fertility rates and the implications for family planning and family building: an IFFS consensus document based on a narrative review of the literature (2024) · cites this paper as Le Moal et al., 2016
The Introduction (page not provided) reports declines in some male reproductive measures and emerging evidence of female reproductive disorders, and says EDC exposure could cause some of the impairment. The Criteria/methods section (page not provided) says human evidence is associational and causation remains debated. The paper lists pesticides as suspected EDCs, but does not establish that EDCs or pesticides play important causal roles in an observed decline in fertility. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBoth male and female reproductive health is deteriorating, especially in industrialized regions.
“Moreover, both male and female reproductive health is deteriorating, especially in industrialized regions, suggesting important roles of environmental factors, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides, in causing the observed decline in fertility (Le Moal et al., 2016; Skakkebæk et al., 2022).”
From Declining global fertility rates and the implications for family planning and family building: an IFFS consensus document based on a narrative review of the literature (2024) · cites this paper as Le Moal et al., 2016
The Introduction (page unavailable) reports declining sperm concentration mainly in industrialized countries, increased testicular cancer in Western countries, and emerging evidence of worsening female reproductive-health indicators in many countries. It does not establish that female reproductive health is deteriorating especially in industrialized regions, so that geographic qualifier is supported for the male findings but not for both sexes. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredConcern over the impact of endocrine disruptor exposure on reproductive health has led to calls for a multi-country monitoring system.
“Concern over the impact of endocrine disruptor exposure on reproductive health has led to calls for a multi-country monitoring system (Le Moal et al., 2016).”
From Declining global fertility rates and the implications for family planning and family building: an IFFS consensus document based on a narrative review of the literature (2024) · cites this paper as Le Moal et al., 2016
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“Concern over the impact of endocrine disruptor exposure on reproductive health has led to calls for a multi-country monitoring system (Le Moal et al. , 2016).”
BackgroundAre worldwide sperm counts declining?
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Le Moal, J., Sharpe, R. M., Jϕrgensen, N., Levine, H., Jurewicz, J., Mendiola, J., Swan, S. H., Virtanen, H., Christin-Maître, S., Cordier, S., Toppari, J., Hanke, W., & in name of the HURGENT Network
- Affiliations
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health (GB)
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (PL)
- Universidad de Murcia (ES)
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
- University of Turku (FI)
- Inserm (FR)
- ORCID
- Venue
- The European Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2015-09-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 76-83
- ISSN
- 1101-1262 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-360X
- OpenAlex
- W1959357307
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 3.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- European Commission
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Public Health England
- Ministry of Environment
- Université de Lausanne
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail
- Environment and Health Fund
- Institut de Veille Sanitaire
- Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF12OC1016270)
- Directorate-General for the Environment
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Keywords
- endocrine disruptors, reproductive health indicators, weight of evidence, prostate cancer, breast cancer, sex ratio, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, testicular dysgenesis, precocious puberty, reproductive hormones, semen quality, reproductive cancers
- MeSH terms
- Breast Neoplasms, Environmental Exposure, Environmental Pollutants, Female, Genital Neoplasms, Female, Gonadal Disorders, Humans, Male, Prostatic Neoplasms, Incidence, Endocrine Disruptors, Reproductive Health, Public Health Surveillance
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