Micropenis research

[postulater]

No joke. Really.
Pesticide use and genital malformations.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22372605
"High prevalence of micropenis in 2710 male newborns from an intensive-use pesticide area of Northeastern Brazil.

Gaspari L, Sampaio DR, Paris F, Audran F, Orsini M, Neto JB, Sultan C.
SourceUnité d'Endocrinologie-Gynécologie Pédiatrique, Departement de Pédiatrie, Hôpital A.-de-Villeneuve, CHU Montpellier et Université Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France.

Abstract
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been suggested to contribute to the increasing trends of external genital malformation in male newborns. In Northeastern Brazil, the poor sanitary conditions found in the favelas encourage the widespread use of pesticides. This 2-year study of a total birth cohort of full-term male newborns in the regional hospitals of Campina Grande (Paraíba, Brazil) sought to (1) accurately establish for the first time the incidences of neonatal male genital malformations, (2) investigate the endocrine and genetic aetiologies of these malformations, and (3) evaluate their associations with possible prenatal exposure to EDCs. A total of 2710 male newborns were explored for cryptorchidism, hypospadias and micropenis. Cases were referred to the Pediatric Endocrine Clinic for endocrine and genetic investigations, and all parents were interviewed about their environmental/occupational exposure to EDCs before/during pregnancy by paediatric endocrinologists using a detailed questionnaire. We observed 56 cases of genital malformation (2.07%), including 23 cryptorchidism (0.85%), 15 hypospadias (0.55%), and 18 micropenis (0.66%). All cases exhibited normal/subnormal testosterone production and none presented androgen receptor or 5?-reductase gene mutation. More than 92% of these newborns presented foetal contamination by EDCs, as their mothers reported daily domestic use of pesticides (i.e., DDT) and other EDCs. Most of these undervirilized male newborns presented additional EDC contamination, as 80.36% of the mothers and 58.63% of the fathers reported paid or unpaid work that entailed the use of pesticides and other EDCs before/during pregnancy for the mothers and around the time of fertilization for the fathers. The high rate of micropenis in our population associated with an elevated percentage of parental environmental/occupational exposure to EDCs before/during pregnancy indicates that foetal contamination may be a risk factor for the development of male external genital malformation.

© 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Andrology © 2012 European Academy of Andrology."

[backscatter712]

1. Does that explain why there are so many Republicans?

Might be a correlation...

[NYC_SKP]

2. Wrong forum, this should be in the gungeon...

...or, well, the muscle car/SUV forum

Do we have one of those?

How about swords and cutting weapons?

Or baking?

[postulater]

5. Yeah, maybe I should have titled it

differently.

Like: "Birth defects from pesticide use."

That might have addressed the seriousness of the problem better.

[NYC_SKP]

9. I could not resist, but will give another kick and a recommendation. nt

[eqfan592]

14. *facepalm*

[NYC_SKP]

17. OK, you try to post a serious snark-proof OP with the word "micropenis" in the subject line.

Can't be done.

[postulater]

21. "Snark proof"

Good one.

[SayitAintSo]

25. Love that

[JoeyT]

29. I was curious too and looked it up.

An erect size 2.5 deviations smaller than the mean, which is 5 inches.

Which means less than 2 inches.

[Raksha]

4. I am ashamed of my initial response to this finding.

My first thought on reading it was "Micropenis in newborn males? GOOD! That means something will actually get done about the excessive pesticide use."

My apologies to every male and while I'm at it, every human reading this. But I can't deny what I thought-- and I can't stop thinking it either.

[Voice for Peace]

27. I had the exact response.

[Kindly Refrain]

6. For me they had to create the nano-penis category.

[jmowreader]

7. What micropenis is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropenis

"A common criterion is a dorsal (measured on top) erect penile length of at least 2.5 standard deviations smaller than the mean human penis size, or smaller than about 7cm (2 inches) for an adult when compared to an average erection of 12.5cm (5 inches)."

It may be just me, but five inches seems really small for a penis so two inches is REALLY pushing it.

The article also explains "extreme micropenis," where there is no shaft and the glans sits right on the pubic skin. Symptoms of extreme micropenis include registering Republican and owning more than one Suburban.

[Turbineguy]

8. It's part of a clever plot actually...

Since us white guys can't seem to invent something that makes our dicks bigger, we're going to make everyone else smaller.

[NYC_SKP]

10. Thank you for providing this information, Chemical Agriculture might be the...

single worst bit of technology we've brought to our planet.

It's our food and water, for fuck sake!

K/R

[2on2u]

11. This isn't the first example of this sort of thing and here is the proof.

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Alligators-Apopka-PBS2jun98.htm



Endocrine Disruptor Timeline

PBS Interview with Lois J Guillette Ph.D.

PBS Interview with Theo Colborn Our Stolen Future author

PBS Interview with Fredrick Vom Saal

Dunn is an associate of the Center for Investigative Reporting

In Florida's Lake Apopka, size does matter. Yet it took two years for University of Florida zoologist Lou Guillette to believe his own research findings. His data showed disturbing trends in the male alligator population of this lake, located just outside of Orlando. The most striking finding was the alligators' small penis size: 25% smaller than in normal males. Furthermore, these males had testosterone levels as low as a typical female's--a serious threat to their fertility. How had these "gender-bending" defects occurred? Could manmade chemicals in the waters of Lake Apopka be responsible? Concerned about the reproductive health of both wildlife and humans, scientists everywhere began taking notice.

[postulater]

12. Wow, that's disturbing too.

Which chemicals seem to be causing that? Do they know yet?

[2on2u]

13. Many pesticides are classed as endocrine disruptors if I remember correctly.... there was a

large spill at lake Apopka back then that contributed to this.

From the same link:

Chemical Culprits

Guillette wondered if pollution could be causing the strange defects he found at Lake Apopka. In 1980, Lake Apopka had been the site of a severe chemical spill that left it one of Florida's most polluted lakes. A waste pond at the Tower Chemical Company overflowed, spilling large amounts of the pesticides DDT and dicofol into the lake. Soon afterward, 90% of Apopka's alligators disappeared. Tissue samples from the remaining alligators showed high levels of p,p'-DDE, a breakdown product of DDT, along with a host of other contaminants. p,p'-DDE was the most common contaminant in the alligators' eggs. In addition, Apopka suffered chemical runoff from agricultural areas around the lake, and from a nearby sewage treatment plant. Could this be the difference between Lake Apopka and Lake Woodruff? Could a spill that took place over a decade earlier still be hurting the alligators of Lake Apopka?

[postulater]

22. DDT is bad stuff

That's what Rachel Carson was writing about in Silent Spring causing bald eagle egg shells to thin and almost wiping them out.

[longship]

15. There's a long known explanation for this.

As is common, Jerry Seinfeld got it right.

QED

[woolldog]

16. So....

it's likely this snake wasn't exposed to pesticides then?

[postulater]

24. Man, that's one strange looking creature.

A snake? I was thinking some kind of amphibian or salamander.

[eppur_se_muova]

30. It is a salamander -- google "penis snake" for details. nt

[KT2000]

19. Cryptorchidism or undescended testicle

is corrected surgically - but they are finding that those who had this problem are at a much greater risk of testicular cancer.

This information has been out there for decades and there have been no policy changes because of it. Corporations are still fighting the requirement that their products even be tested for causing endocrine disruption. In the meantime, people's lives are being stolen from them due to the greed of the very powerful corporations and weak politicians.

These (and other examples) are also pre-existing conditions and treatment should be paid for by the polluting industries.

[yellerpup]

20. I knew a woman who gave birth to a baby boy

with a micropenis. Her husband had to endure so many sick jokes at his expense and all he would say was, "He didn't get it from me." She was on psychiatric drugs during her pregnancy so that's how they chalked it up. But, now that you mention it their apartment was directly under the garbage storage area. Every time the exterminator came her apartment would be swarmed with bugs, probably carrying those pesticides.

[BOG PERSON]

23. thats why my p33n0r is so tiny

[Voice for Peace]

26. If pesticides cause micropenis, this may be a hook to bring down Monsanto

[riderinthestorm]

28. My first thought as well. It will take white men, who have sons born with abnormal dicks to start

the revolution against the corporate corruption of Monsanto. Pretty sad.

[HiPointDem]

31. kr.

i don't think this story is funny.