title: Effects of physical forces on the reproductive cycle. Council on Scientific Affairs.
abstract: The Council on Scientific Affairs is aware that physicians, as well as the public in general, have expressed increasing concerns regarding the possible adverse effects of various physical forces on the reproductive organs. Various channels of public communication report anecdotal episodes of suspected cause-and-effect relationships between various physical elements in the environment and harmful effects on reproduction. Many of these episodes have not been substantiated by acceptable scientific research. However, some reports have appeared in the scientific literature that do document adverse reproductive effects on humans and animals at certain levels of some physical forces. At levels above 3,636 m (12,000 ft), adverse reproductive effects have been observed in men and women, in the conceptus, and in certain species of animals. Hyperthermia in excess of 40 degrees C may affect the man and the conceptus, as well as the reproductive capacity of certain animals. However, adverse effects of hypothermia have been observed only in animals. Ionizing radiation can cause injury to the man, woman, and conceptus and to animals, depending on dose and duration of exposure. There have been no well-documented injurious effects to the human reproductive organs resulting from radiofrequency-microwave radiation, but there have been some reports in animals that attributed untoward reproductive limitations to thermal effects. To date, there have been no reports in the scientific literature to implicate electronic and magnetic fields, gravity and acceleration, noise, optical radiation (UV, visible, infrared, and lasers), ultrasound, or vibration as having harmful effects on reproduction in either humans or animals. There is need for more well-designed and controlled studies to be performed in all of these areas of exposure at maximum-tolerated levels to physical force before it can be determined with certainty that no ill effects will accrue to the reproductive cycle, especially in assessing harmful effects from low-level exposure during long periods of time.
mesh_terms: D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D001724:Birth Weight; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise; D011247:Pregnancy; D011827:Radiation / Q000009:adverse effects; D012098:Reproduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D013696:Temperature; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014732:Vibration