J 2024

The effect of space travel on human reproductive health: a systematic review

GIMUNOVÁ, Marta, Ana Carolina PALUDO, Martina BERNACIKOVÁ and Julie DOBROVOLNÁ

Basic information

Original name

The effect of space travel on human reproductive health: a systematic review

Authors

GIMUNOVÁ, Marta (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Ana Carolina PALUDO (76 Brazil, belonging to the institution), Martina BERNACIKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Julie DOBROVOLNÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

NPJ MICROGRAVITY, UNITED STATES, NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2024, 2373-8065

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

30300 3.3 Health sciences

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 5.100 in 2022

Organization unit

Faculty of Sports Studies

DOI

UT WoS

001144704200001

Keywords in English

space travel; reproductive health; astronauts

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 5/2/2024 15:57, Mgr. Marta Gimunová, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

With increasing possibilities of multi-year missions in deep space, colonizing other planets, and space tourism, it is important to investigate the effects of space travel on human reproduction. This study aimed to systematically review and summarize the results of available literature on space travel, microgravity, and space radiation, or Earth-based spaceflight analogues impact on female and male reproductive functions in humans. This systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and Space Biomedicine Systematic Review methods. The search was performed using three databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline Complete. During the database search, 364 studies were identified. After the study selection process, 16 studies were included in the review. Five studies included female participants, and the findings show an increased risk of thromboembolism in combined oral contraceptive users, decreased decidualization, functional insufficiency of corpus luteum, and decreased progesterone and LH levels related to space travel or its simulation. Male participants were included in 13 studies. In males, reproductive health considerations focused on the decrease in testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels, the ratio of male offspring, sperm motility, sperm vitality, and the increase in sperm DNA fragmentation related to space travel or its simulation. Results of this systematic review highlight the need to focus more on the astronaut’s reproductive health in future research, as only 16 studies were found during the literature search, and many more research questions related to reproductive health in astronauts still need to be answered.