EFFECTS OF ENDOCRİNE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS THROUGHOUT THE FEMALE LIFE COURSE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF CURRENT EVIDENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, PREGNANCY, AND MENOPAUSE
Keywords:
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, women's health, reproductive health, ; pregnancy, menopause, environmental exposureAbstract
This narrative review aimed to evaluate the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on women’s health from a life-course perspective and synthesize current evidence across reproductive health, pregnancy, and menopause. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, DergiPark, and Google Scholar using “endocrine disrupting chemicals,” “women’s health,” “fertility,” “pregnancy,” “placental development,” “menopause,” “reproductive aging,” and their Turkish equivalents. English- and Turkish-language studies published between January 2020 and May 2026 were evaluated, and 24 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Findings were thematically synthesized under reproductive health and fertility, pregnancy and placental development, menopause and reproductive aging, and exposure-reduction interventions. The reviewed studies suggest that exposure to bisphenol A, phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances may be associated with reproductive outcomes, including fertility, ovarian function, polycystic ovary syndrome, ovulatory disorders, and endometriosis. Exposures during pregnancy may also be associated with placental function, fetal development, and birth outcomes, while long-term environmental exposures may relate to menopausal transition and reproductive aging indicators. Epigenetic mechanisms and education-based exposure-reduction interventions have emerged as important research areas. Overall, integrating environmental exposures into women’s health research and preventive healthcare through a life-course approach may support early risk identification and preventive strategies.
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