Pesticide Exposure, Reproductive Hormone Levels And Sperm Quality Among Young Adult Males In South Brazil

Introduction: Pesticides currently used in agriculture have the ability to interfere with human endocrine reproductive system, resulting in changes in hormone secretion and adverse outcomes such as malformations of reproductive organs and poorer sperm quality. Objective: To investigate the association between pesticide exposure, sex hormone levels and semen quality among rural and urban young men. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 99 male farmers aged 18-23 years residing in the rural area of Farroupilha, South of Brazil. A control group of 36 males of similar age was selected from the urban area. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, pesticide use, and gestational/neonatal characteristics was obtained through questionnaire. Blood and semen samples were collected from participants and analyzed for cholinesterase activity, sex hormones and sperm parameters, respectively. Associations were explored using multivariate linear regression. Results: ...