Incidence of male infertility by occupational factors in the State of Minas Gerais

Abstract

Objective: The occupational factors are defined in the etiology of male infertility. Methods and results: This study was designed from the authors' database regarding 24.280 infertile men. 102 individuals (0,42%) were estimated for this set of causes. The professionals that work in X - ray services, 79 individuals (77,46%), were the most relevant finding. The cause of infertility in 15 men was the exposure to organochlorine insecticides. Three cases of infertility (2,94%) were reported in workers in the lead industry. The same number of cases and the same incidence (2,94%) were found in workers in precious stones mining, due to mercury handling. The exposure to cadmium and copper were able to generate infertility in one individual each (0, 98%). Conclusion: The expressive sampling of etiologies in male infertility by occupational factors in the area studied (102) and the number of municipal districts where the datum was collected (27 districts), associated to the clinical conditions, qualify these etiologies as predictive-evolutionary markers of reproductive health in the state of Minas Gerais - Brazil - similar to what takes place with populations in other parts of the world. Copyright - SBRA - Sociedade Brasileira de Reprodução Assistida.