Is Beijing Becoming An Infertile City?
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There have been many theories. One posits frequent night-shifts, as well as irregular sleeping habits and stress, are disrupting our normal reproductive cycles. It's estimated about 5-8 percent of people in Beijing work night shifts. Bartenders, food-service people, and freelancers all have extremely irregular schedules that may require them to work at different times. Besides irregular work hours, young people often stay up late, past midnight or later, and many are heavily invested in video games or playing on their phones, which eats away a huge chunk of time they could be sleeping.
Another theory has to do with environmental pollutants. A recent study has suggested being exposed in places with severe air pollution can increase the risks of infertility by 20 percent. Sources of contaminants such as car gases, factory smoke and noise pollution can all negatively affect health. Cars alone have emitted about more than 700,000 tons of pollutants annually in Beijing, making them the largest source of contamination. The study also indicates that the longer women stay in heavily-polluted areas, the harder it becomes for them to get pregnant. All the toxic chemicals in the air can cause endocrine disorders, which in turn can disrupt reproductive health.
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In addition to environmental hazards, dietary habits could also be to blame. We live in a world where we are constantly exposed to heavily processed, unclean, or even spoiled foods that can upset stomachs or cause some digestion issues. A recent scandal involving two outlets selling dead crabs has once again brought food security issues into the spotlight. Vegetables and fruit, which sometimes have pesticide residues, and meat containing huge amounts of hormone residues, can also cause issues.
Panggelia Crab Clay Pot was criticized for using unfresh ingredients and dead crabs
Facing these dilemmas, many women in Beijing are grappling with what could be termed a roller coaster ride of infertility. As one netizen put it: “ It is not that I don’t want a kid, it's just I can’t have one.”
“I have a job that’s highly stressful and I barely have time to exercise and I'm a night owl. I feel like such things can all increase the chance of having a high infertility rate” another netizen said. What issues do you think might be contributing to infertility? Let us know in the comments below.READ: Meet Sharee Hebert, Who Stays Sane With The Help Of The Beijing Guild
Images: Weibo, Unsplash
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