Menstrual disorders and subfertility in Spanish hairdressers

2009

Abstract Objective Hairdressing is associated with adverse effects on reproductive health. This research investigates whether female hairdressers have increased risks of subfertility and menstrual disorders. Study design Cross sectional study. Participants were all female hairdressers below 50 years of age ( n  = 310) working in registered hairdressing salons in Alicante, Spain and a control group comprising female shop assistants and office workers ( n  =310). Menstrual disorders were defined as any of five menstrual cycle characteristics: short cycles, long cycles, irregular cycles, not experiencing a period for more than 6 weeks (missed period), and bleeding or spotting between periods (…