Plastic chemicals may be one of the more overlooked contributors to declining testosterone levels
The pattern starts before birth, when normal testosterone signaling is critical for male sexual development
Higher phthalate exposure during pregnancy is associated with undescended testes, hypospadias, and shorter anogenital distance
Undescended testes, in particular, carry risks well beyond development (impaired fertility and a major risk factor for testicular cancer)
The trend continues into adulthood: large NHANES studies find that men with higher phthalate levels have substantially lower testosterone