Birth control pills may cause gender confusion in fish: Report

ISTANBUL

A recent study found that hormones such as those in birth control bills can cause gender confusion in fish, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported Monday.

According to the study published in the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association, hormones such as those contained in birth control pills and estrogen supplements can cause gender confusion in fish and other animals.

Such hormones can reportedly alter the natural development of fish, causing them to develop sexual characteristics of the opposite sex or to enter puberty earlier than usual, disrupting reproductive cycles and throwing the entire ecosystems out of balance.

"For aquatic life, residues of antibiotics and hormones are the most harmful," according to Ida Beathe Overjordet, who has conducted research in the Arctic Ocean and other regions.

In addition to hormonal disruption, Overjordet pointed out that antibiotic residues in the ocean can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria — a risk that extends beyond marine life to humans.

“If you get a wound while swimming and resistant bacteria enter the wound, the treatment may not work,” Overjordet told NRK.

Overjordet noted that pharmaceutical pollution is a global issue affecting aquatic life. Sharing that drug residues have been found in waters around the world — including remote ocean regions far from human populations.

“Small concentrations of drugs can have a big impact,” Overjordet warned, noting that some organisms tolerate very little while others can handle more.

She also emphasized that while some medications break down quickly, others persist in the environment for a long time.