Podcast: Do Microplastics Threaten Women’s Reproductive Health?
Dr. Raveen Syan is studying how microplastics accumulate in female reproductive tissue.
Discover the hidden environmental threats to women’s health in the latest episode of “Inside U Miami Medicine.”
Raveen Syan, M.D., assistant professor of clinical urology at Desai Sethi Urology Institute, joined the podcast to discuss a groundbreaking study that will examine how microplastics accumulate in female reproductive tissue and the potential health effects of these toxins.
With an estimated 390 million tons of plastic produced globally each year, microplastics and their synthetic byproducts (including BPA and phthalates) are rampant in air, water, soil and food. The exposure risk to humans through inhalation and ingestion is massive. Could these microscopic pollutants play a role in infertility or cancer? Dr. Syan and her team are determined to find out.
“Many studies have shown that we harbor microplastics in our tissue, but no research has yet examined their presence in female reproductive tissues,” said Dr. Syan. “We will investigate not only the presence of microplastics and their byproducts but also, in malignant tissue, we’ll conduct the first study to look at microplastics in tumor tissue in humans. This will help us better understand which tissues store these particles and at what concentrations.”
Dr. Syan and Henri Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer at the University of Miami Miller School of Med, were joined by Christina Yarborough, a DREAM scholar in the Miller School’s Class of 2025. Yarborough is working with Dr. Syan on this pioneering study and recently presented the initiative to urologists from across the nation at Desai Sethi Urology Institute’s Urology on the Beach 2025.
In addition to the microplastics study, Dr. Syan shares insights from her research on pelvic floor disorders, which impact nearly one in 4 women in the U.S. Few studies have investigated the symptom burden among varying demographics and their perspectives on treatment options.
“We found that, despite extremely bothersome pelvic symptoms, awareness of these disorders and, most importantly, the available treatment options, is lacking. When patients are made aware of treatment options, they are highly likely to consider them,” Dr. Syan said.
Don’t miss this compelling conversation about the science, the stakes and the future of women’s health. Listen on Apple or find the episode wherever you listen to podcasts.
Tags: Desai Sethi Urology Institute, Dr. Raveen Syan, Inside U Miami Medicine, microplastics, pelvic floor, reproductive medicine, reproductive urology, urology