Two Banned Pesticides Linked to Endometriosis

The exact cause of endometriosis has not yet been identified, but a new study found that two now-banned pesticides may have an increased risk of developing endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a growth of the uterine tissue outside the uterus that can cause pelvic discomfort, painful periods and even infertility. Researchers discovered that two pesticides, mirex and beta HCH, were present and in significant high amounts in the blood levels of women who had endometriosis.

In a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studied blood tests of 248 women who had recently been diagnosed with endometriosis, comparing them to blood tests of 538 women without the disease.  

"Our study suggests that exposure from extensive past use of environmentally persistent OCPs in the United States, or present use in other countries may impact the health of the current generation of reproductive-age women with regard to a hormonally-mediated disease," said Kristen Upson the lead author, who was a predoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

"For many women, the symptoms of endometriosis can be chronic and debilitating, negatively affecting health-related quality of life, personal relationships and work productivity," Upson wrote.

"Since endometriosis is an estrogen-driven condition, we were interested in investigating the role of environmental chemicals that have estrogenic properties, such as organochlorine pesticides, on the risk of the disease," she said.

Although the study found an association between exposure to two specific pesticides and a higher risk of developing endometriosis, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

"We found it interesting that despite organochlorine pesticides being restricted in use or banned in the U.S. for the past several decades, these chemicals were detectable in the blood samples of women in our study and were associated with increased endometriosis risk," Upson said. "The take-home message from our study is that persistent environmental chemicals, even those used in the past, may affect the health of the current generation of reproductive-age women with regard to a hormonally driven disease."