CLAIM: Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in everyday plastics, significantly harms female fertility by reducing viable egg count, disrupting hormonal balance, and affecting implantation.

FACT: True. BPA exposure can negatively impact female fertility, particularly through oral ingestion and skin contact.

First Check came across an Instagram reel posted by @foundmyfitness, where the host claims that BPA exposure can significantly reduce fertility. Quoting a study on women undergoing IVF, she says, “Women with higher levels of BPA in their urine had half as many viable eggs as women with lower BPA levels, and that's huge.” 

She further explains that BPA “messes with ovarian function by disrupting the hormonal balance that's crucial for regular ovulation” and “interferes with estrogen and progesterone, which are basically the key players in regulating our menstrual cycle.”

The host also discusses BPA’s potential impact on implantation, saying, “Even if everything else is in order, BPA can affect the uterine lining and make it harder for a fertilized egg to implant.”

The video quotes another study which showed that women with higher BPA levels had lower implantation success during IVF.

"BPA is affecting the body's natural ability to support early pregnancy," the host concludes. 

What is BPA?

Bisphenol-A is a chemical used in making many everyday products like plastic containers, water bottles, and food packaging. Because these products are so common, most people are exposed to BPA regularly. Once it enters the body, BPA can be found in fluids like blood and urine. It can disrupt the body's natural hormone system by interfering with how hormones send signals and even changing how genes work, leading to health issues, especially related to growth, reproduction, and metabolism.

BPA exposure and female fertility

A study titled "The impact of Bisphenol-A on human reproductive health" has found a link between reproductive health diseases and high BPA exposure both in male and female bodies. In males, BPA was associated with increased sperm alterations, altered reproductive hormone levels, and testicular atrophy. In females, the study found “an association of BPA exposure with hormonal imbalances, reduced ovarian reserve, and increased likelihood of conditions such as fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and infertility." 

Another review published in the BioMed Central journal, explores the link between BPA levels in the body (measured in blood or urine) and female infertility. It specifically focuses on how BPA exposure affects natural conception, the success of medically assisted reproduction (like IVF), and reproductive disorders linked to infertility, such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It explains that exposure to BPA can occur through the dermal absorption by the handling of thermal paper or by the application of cosmetics, together with air inhalation, dust and dental material ingestion. 

What do the experts say?

Dr Rashmi Niphadkar, a fertility specialist at Nova IVF Fertility in Pune, emphasized that BPA is a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) found in common consumer products like food containers, baby bottles, thermal receipt paper, and dental sealants. She confirmed that BPA exposure can negatively impact female fertility, particularly through oral ingestion and skin contact.

“BPA can mimic estrogen and interfere with hormonal pathways essential for ovarian health,” Dr. Niphadkar told First Check, adding that this disruption can lead to accelerated follicular atresia—the natural breakdown of undeveloped egg follicles— reducing the viable egg count over time. "This decline in ovarian reserve increases the risk of conditions like PCOS and makes conception more difficult."

Beyond egg viability, BPA exposure also affects the uterine environment. According to Dr. Niphadkar, "Even if an egg is successfully fertilized, BPA can impair implantation by affecting the uterine lining." This could explain why women with higher BPA levels have been observed to have lower success rates with assisted reproductive techniques like IVF.

How to reduce BPA exposure

Dr. Niphadkar recommended taking proactive steps to limit BPA exposure, particularly for individuals trying to conceive. 

"Switching to glass or stainless steel containers for food storage, choosing BPA-free products, and reducing contact with thermal paper receipts are simple yet effective ways to minimize exposure," she advised. She suggested opting for fresh or frozen foods over canned goods, as BPA can leach from can linings into food.

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