Climate change is no longer just about melting glaciers, erratic monsoons or rising seas.
Increasingly, it is reshaping human health — down to our ability to reproduce. As global temperatures climb, researchers are warning of a quieter crisis: the impact of heat, pollution and environmental instability on fertility.
Heat and Pollution Are Disrupting Reproductive Biology
Women’s reproductive systems are particularly sensitive to rising temperatures, says Dr Arvind Vaid, Gynaecologist & IVF Specialist at Indira IVF, Delhi.
“High ambient temperatures disturb key reproductive hormones such as LH, FSH and GnRH, which can affect egg development, early embryo growth and even fetal health,” he explains. Heat exposure during pregnancy, he adds, raises the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, low-birth-weight babies and other complications.
Men are not spared.
“Heatwaves — now more common due to climate change — can impair sperm production, reduce sperm count and increase DNA damage,” notes Dr Hina Shaikh, Consultant Gynaecologist & Obstetrician, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Navi Mumbai. Sperm motility and morphology, she says, drop sharply with sustained heat.
Air quality is emerging as another major culprit.
Dr Vaid points out that worsening pollution, often intensified by climate-linked wildfires, “raises pregnancy loss rates and lowers overall fertility.”
Dr Shaikh adds that endocrine-disrupting chemicals present in polluted air, water and food can “lower sperm count, affect egg quality and alter puberty timing.”
Beyond Heat: Nutrition, Infections and IVF Outcomes
Climate change also threatens food systems and disease patterns — both of which influence reproductive outcomes.
“Erratic weather disrupts crop yields and contributes to deficiencies in nutrients like zinc, selenium and iron that are vital for fertility,” says Dr Shaikh.
Rising temperatures are also accelerating the spread of vector-borne infections. Diseases like malaria, dengue and Zika, she notes, have been linked to reduced fertility, pregnancy complications and congenital abnormalities.
For couples undergoing fertility treatment, environmental instability adds another risk. Poor air quality, Dr Vaid says, can lower IVF success rates and contribute to failed embryo transfers.
The Mental Health Impact
Extreme weather events — from intense heatwaves to flooding — are increasing chronic stress, a significant but often overlooked factor in fertility.
“Stress elevates cortisol levels, which disrupt normal reproductive function,” Dr Shaikh explains.
Comments are closed.