Sunscreen ingredient may cause endometriosis in women: Study

The New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center has warned that benzophenone, known as benzophenone-1, used in some sunscreens may cause endometriosis, a painful condition in women in which uterine tissue grows in other areas of the body.

The researchers have found that small amounts of this ingredient can pass through skin and mimic the effects of the female sex hormone estrogen.

According to the researchers, the benzophenones in lower concentrations can help stabilise the formulations of products that are stored in clear containers, but in higher concentrations the substances are very effective in blocking potentially harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

The researchers said to calculate the potential risks, they had examined the levels of five kinds of benzophenones in the urine of over 600 women, who were evaluated for endometriosis, a problem which affects about 1 in 10 women.

The study has evaluated that women with the highest amounts of benzophenone-1 in their urine were 65% more likely to have endometriosis compared to their peers with the lowest levels.

The study also revealed that only one kind of benzophenone, known as benzophenone-1, was significantly associated with the risk of endometriosis.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), benzophenones were found in the urine of 97% of the studied people..