Growth suppressants can hurt fertility, says Dutch researcher

Women who have taken hormone-based growth suppressants in their youth should not wait too long before trying to have children because they may experience fertility problems, according to a researcher at Erasmus teaching hospital.


Hormones have been given to girls since the 1950s to stop them growing too tall.
But research by Emile Hendriks and quoted in the Volkskrant indicates the long-term use of hormones may lead to fertility problems and early menopause. Girls given lower doses of hormones are less likely to have problems.
The use of growth hormones by boys does not appear to affect fertility although they do have lower testosterone production levels, the paper quotes Hendriks’ research as showing.

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