Fertility Europe

20/03/2026

Did you watch The Plastic Detox on Netflix? The documentary is built on real-world research that is adding another dimension to environmental challenges of infertility.
The film follows six couples struggling with infertility who undergo a 3-month “plastic detox,” guided by scientists studying how everyday chemicals (like BPA and phthalates) may disrupt hormones and reproductive health.
The story is embedded in an actual pilot study published in Toxics (MDPI). The research tracked changes in biomarkers (like BPA levels) during the intervention to see if reducing plastic exposure could measurably affect the body.
Key findings from the study behind the film:
• Measurable reductions in chemical exposure (including BPA and phthalates)
• Early signals of improved fertility-related markers
There are more results, but we don’t do spoilers!
Yes, it is only a small study, BUT the documentary raises important concerns and shows what might be possible.
We have asked Dr. Pauliina Damdimopoulou, professor of reproductive biology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden and expert to comment on the existing research and what we can do as patients:
‘The documentary rightly highlights the complexity of chemical exposures by discussing not only the widespread presence of chemicals in everyday life but also the roles of the petrochemical industry, environmental justice, and insufficient chemical safety regulation. In line with current research, it shows that individuals can modify some exposures through lifestyle choices, such as those to phthalates and bisphenols, and suggests that reducing these exposures may improve s***m counts and chances of pregnancy. I look forward to larger studies and hope that female fertility will also be considered. I also hope that this documentary leads to better chemical regulation, because individual lifestyle choices alone will never solve the problem.’

20/03/2026

Did you watch The Plastic Detox on Netflix? The documentary is built on real-world research that is adding another dimension to environmental challenges of infertility.
The film follows six couples struggling with infertility who undergo a 3-month “plastic detox,” guided by scientists studying how everyday chemicals (like BPA and phthalates) may disrupt hormones and reproductive health.
The story is embedded in an actual pilot study published in Toxics (MDPI). The research tracked changes in biomarkers (like BPA levels) during the intervention to see if reducing plastic exposure could measurably affect the body.
Key findings from the study behind the film:
• Measurable reductions in chemical exposure (including BPA and phthalates)
• Early signals of improved fertility-related markers
There are more results, but we don't do spoilers!
Yes, it is only a small study, BUT the documentary raises important concerns and shows what might be possible.
We have asked Dr. Pauliina Damdimopoulou, professor of reproductive biology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden and ESHRE - European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology expert to comment on the existing research and what we can do as patients:
The documentary rightly highlights the complexity of chemical exposures by discussing not only the widespread presence of chemicals in everyday life but also the roles of the petrochemical industry, environmental justice, and insufficient chemical safety regulation. In line with current research, it shows that individuals can modify some exposures through lifestyle choices, such as those to phthalates and bisphenols, and suggests that reducing these exposures may improve s***m counts and chances of pregnancy. I look forward to larger studies and hope that female fertility will also be considered. I also hope that this documentary leads to better chemical regulation, because individual lifestyle choices alone will never solve the problem.
Still, the bigger takeaway is hard to ignore:
We’re surrounded by thousands of plastic-related chemicals, many of which interact with our biology in ways we don’t fully understand yet.
🎬 Worth watching — but even more worth questioning.
Soon we will share with you more materials from Health and Environment Alliance about the ways of addressing this issue on personal and policy level.

16/03/2026

Our representative, Despina Petrovska is participating today in the High-level Conference on Medical Devices: Innovation and Patient Safety. The conference organised by the European Commission brings together care professionals, manufacturers, and patient representatives, highlighting from the very opening remarks how important it is to have all these voices present in one space. The message was clear: meaningful progress can only happen through synergy, shared expertise, and collaboration among all stakeholders.

While there was broad agreement that innovation and change are much needed in the field of medical devices, one key point was consistently emphasized throughout the discussions — innovation must always go hand in hand with patient safety. Safe, effective, and state-of-the-art medical devices must remain accessible to patients, ensuring that technological progress ultimately serves those who need it most.

The conversations reaffirmed that when science, industry, healthcare professionals, and patient advocates work together, the path toward responsible innovation and better patient outcomes becomes much clearer.

06/03/2026

empasises the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organisations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.

19/02/2026

💡Millions of people across Europe experience the emotional toll of infertility — often without the support they need.

📯A new policy paper from the Coalition for Fertility sets out clear solutions: integrate fertility into mental health strategies, remove barriers to treatment, and make psychosocial support a standard part of fertility care.

📌From early screening and counselling during treatment to long-term support afterwards, the paper outlines how health systems can provide truly person-centred care.

👉Infertility affects lives far beyond the clinic. With the right policies and services, people facing fertility challenges can receive the comprehensive mental health support they deserve.
Read the statement 🔗 on our website fertilityeurope.eu or coalition for fertility.eu

19/02/2026

💡Millions of people across Europe experience the emotional toll of infertility — often without the support they need.

📯A new policy paper from the Coalition for Fertility sets out clear solutions: integrate fertility into mental health strategies, remove barriers to treatment, and make psychosocial support a standard part of fertility care.

📌From early screening and counselling during treatment to long-term support afterwards, the paper outlines how health systems can provide truly person-centred care.

👉Infertility affects lives far beyond the clinic. With the right policies and services, people facing fertility challenges can receive the comprehensive mental health support they deserve.
Read the statement linked 🔗 to the first comment.

14/02/2026

Valentine’s Day can be beautiful... but for many navigating infertility or involuntary childlessness, it can also feel complicated, heavy, even isolating. 💔

The impact reaches far beyond one day or one diagnosis. It can touch relationships, hopes, and plans. The complexity is real. The impact is real.

However this day feels for you, please know you’re not alone. Your experience matters. Your feelings deserve space. We hear you.

Sending gentleness to anyone finding today difficult, and love to every version of family, partnership, and self-love that exists. ❤️

12/02/2026

Today we observe SRHR Awareness Day - a reminder that Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights matter for everyone, everywhere. 🌍
A world where people can make informed choices about their bodies, access respectful care, and live with dignity, safety, and equality is the world we want.

12/02/2026

04/02/2026

Yesterday, 3 February, our own Bojana Santic participated in the "Towards an EU Strategy for Women's Health" event, delivering a speech from the perspective of patients with infertility.

One of the key challenges in our field is that fertility and infertility are still treated as private or marginal issues, despite the fact that infertility affects 1 in 6 people, over 25 million people in the EU.

While women and men are diagnosed in roughly equal numbers, infertility is not experienced equally. The physical, emotional and financial burden still falls disproportionately on women, reflecting deeper structural inequalities in health systems, access to care and the labour market.

This is why we strongly welcome the way the Strategy reframes fertility, recognising it as part of women’s health across the life course and as a structural gender equality issue, not a niche or private concern.

This approach opens space for prevention, early information and fertility literacy, while aligning health, equality and social policies to reduce inequalities and rebuild trust in health systems.

Addressing this requires sustained funding, cross-sector coordination and the meaningful involvement of patient organisations. Fertility must be embedded not only in health policy, but also in equality, employment and social frameworks.

In this context, Fertility Europe, together with its partners in the Coalition for Fertility, has contributed to the European Commission’s consultation, calling for fertility care to be recognised as a core gender equality issue.

Despite the scale of the issue, stigma persists, and inequalities - with all their consequences - are still a lived experience for many women.

That is why Fertility Europe strongly endorses a reframing of (in)fertility, recognising it as a structural issue and a core matter of gender equality.