Is it safe to use Teflon nonstick pans if you're trying to get pregnant?

What's actually in it

Teflon pans have a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating. At high heat, PTFE breaks down into fumes that include various fluorinated compounds. Scratched pans release particles into food. Trying-to-conceive couples rarely think about the cookware. New research shows it matters.

Replacement cookware options have been well-developed in recent years.

What the research says

A 2025 study in Adv Sci on therapeutic repair of sperm quality decline caused by PTFE implied that PTFE exposure measurably damages sperm quality. The study researched repair pathways because the damage is real. Prevention (avoiding the exposure) is the cleaner approach.

For preconception cooking: swap to stainless steel, cast iron, enameled cast iron, or carbon steel. Well-seasoned carbon steel is a drop-in replacement for most nonstick uses. For eggs specifically (the hardest case), a well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel pan with enough fat and heat handles omelets without sticking. Avoid heating nonstick pans above medium. When replacing nonstick, consider that ceramic-coated nonstick is imperfect but skips PTFE/PFAS entirely.