Humans are spending more time in space than ever before, and we’re bringing our gonads with us. But scientists are concerned that sexual health in space is a “policy blind spot” and needs to be taken more seriously.

Spending a long time in space takes a toll on your body. Cosmic radiation is inevitablemicrogravity make everything It’s a little too easyand all the usual cues know what time it is Completely out the window.

Although much research has been conducted on these side effects of a safe workplace, there remains a blind spot in reproductive health, whether due to priorities or prudence.

In a study led by embryologist Giles Palmer from the University of Leeds, nine scientists expressed concern about how much we know now, given the rise in commercial flights and frequent space flights.

“Despite more than 65 years of human spaceflight activity, little is known about the effects of the space environment on the human reproductive system during long-duration missions,” Palmer and team said. write.

Little research in the laboratory or in humans suggests that space is indeed a hostile place for Earthlings’ reproductive systems.

The main problem is those nasty cosmic raysparticles from space are Edit by mistake our DNA when they fly away. Similar to radiation exposure on Earth, such “cosmic errors” in sperm and egg cells that form embryos could have serious consequences.

Animal studies have shown that short-term exposure to radiation can disrupt the menstrual cycle; cancer However, when it comes to long-term space missions, there is little reliable data from actual humans.

And after reviewing existing research, Palmer and his team concluded that little is known about the effects of repeated exposure to radiation on male fertility.

a study Our results suggest that radiation doses above approximately 250 mGy may interfere with sperm formation, but this may be reversible. another person guesses Longer missions may have more severe effects on the neuroendocrine system, which regulates reproductive hormones.

Thanks to increased commercial investment in spaceflight and lower costs due to technological advances, we are launching more rockets into space than ever before.

Missions from NASA and other public agencies adhere to strict rules regarding sexual health in space, but these may be impossible or ethically impossible for commercial companies to enforce.

For example, astronauts sponsored by space agencies cannot travel to space if they are pregnant, and there are typically limits to the amount of radiation exposure astronauts can withstand.

These regulations come with their own problems. For example, NASA has set a radiation exposure limit of 50 millisieverts per year for astronauts in low Earth orbit, a lower limit for women because of their higher risk of ovarian and breast cancer. The risks are real, but jurist says Such double standards may also constitute discrimination on the basis of gender.

Related: Exposure to microgravity appears to cause severe disorientation in human sperm

But when it comes to commercial spaceflight, Palmer and his team are more concerned about the complete lack of regulation. Currently, there are no industry-wide standards for managing risks to reproductive health.

“Should we monitor the pregnancy status of our employees? Should we monitor the pregnancy status of business travelers and tourists?” they ask.

“Should informed consent forms include estimates of changes in long-term risks to reproductive success and possible harm to the fetus?”

The truth is, until we know more about the reproductive effects of spaceflight, it will be difficult to warn future passengers and employees of the risks.

“As humanity’s presence in space expands, reproductive health can no longer remain a policy blind spot.” say Fatih Karuia, a research scientist at NASA, is the study’s senior author.

“International cooperation is urgently needed to fill critical knowledge gaps and establish ethical guidelines that protect both professional and commercial astronauts, and ultimately protect humanity toward a sustained presence beyond Earth.”

This study Reproductive Biomedicine Online.