Monday, November 23, 2009

Environmental chemicals: feminizing boys?

Yes, I'm somewhat behind on blogging--I just finished a big deadline on Saturday.

(A couple of weeks ago) Owen sent me this Slashdot story about an unofficial Danish study suggesting that environmental chemicals are "feminizing boys." From Slashdot:

"Denmark has unveiled official research showing that two-year-old children are at risk from a bewildering array of gender-bending chemicals in such everyday items as waterproof clothes, rubber boots... A picture is emerging of ubiquitous chemical contamination driving down sperm counts and feminizing male children all over the developed world. Research at Rotterdam's Erasmus University found that boys whose mothers were exposed to PCBs and dioxins were more likely to play with dolls and tea sets and dress up in female clothes... '"

Yikes? I didn't realize that chemicals could change culture and socialization in such strong ways*.

* Sarcasm.

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