Does BPA from plastic containers affect male fertility?

What's actually in it

BPA from plastic food containers, can linings, and thermal receipt paper absorbs into the body and mimics estrogen. Testosterone and estrogen are in balance in both male and female bodies. When BPA adds extra estrogen-like signaling, it can shift that balance and affect sperm production and quality.

Higher urinary BPA levels in men are consistently associated with lower sperm count, lower motility, and more abnormal sperm morphology in multiple studies.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Reprod Toxicol examined BPA exposure and male fertility, including the potential role of vitamin D in modulating BPA's effects. They confirmed that BPA impairs male fertility by disrupting testicular function and sperm quality. Vitamin D may partially protect against some BPA effects, but the protective effect doesn't eliminate the harm.

Men tend not to think about plastic food containers as a fertility issue. The data says they should.

Switching to glass food storage eliminates the main dietary BPA exposure route. Avoiding thermal receipt paper (which contains high concentrations of BPA that absorb through skin) is another important step.