A growing list of common household chemicals may be linked to reproductive health problems, including early puberty and infertility. The list includes phthalates, the plastic chemical BPA, compounds found in nonstick cookware, flame retardants, the antibacterial agent triclosan, and mercury. Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD, the chair of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, says that there is "increasing evidence that these contaminants may be playing a role in reproductive disorders." Some, such as the controversial BPA, are known endocrine disruptors, which means that they look or act like hormones in the body. Even women who live extremely healthily during pregnancy have shown traces of toxins in their blood.

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