THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF THE FEMALE RESIDENTS IN THE AREAS OF UKRAINE AFFECTED BY THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Radioactive contamination poses potential risks to reproductive health.
• Understanding the long-term effects of environmental factors on female reproductive disorders is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze reproductive health disorders in women residing in radioactively contaminated versus clean territories of Ukraine.
• To assess trends in menstrual cycle disorders, uterine body cancer, and cervical inflammatory diseases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized statistical data from the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine and the State Statistics Service (2007-2017).
• Compared prevalence and incidence rates of specific reproductive disorders based on residence in contaminated or clean settlements.
• Analyzed data for disorders of the menstrual cycle (DMC), cancer of the body of the uterus (BU), and inflammatory diseases of the uterus cervix (IDUC).

Main Results:

• Prevalence and incidence of DMC and IDUC increased from 2007-2017.
• A negative trend (increase) was observed in the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the uterine body (32.2%) and cervix (5.1%).
• Incidence of uterine body cancer was higher in Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions compared to the national average, but not in Rivne region. Lowest DMC rates were in Rivne region, significantly lower than in Zhytomyr region. No significant differences in DMC, hyperplasia, or polyps were found in Kyiv region between contaminated and clean areas.

Conclusions:

• Increased uterine body cancer incidence in contaminated areas of Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions was noted.
• DMC prevalence was higher than the national level only in Zhytomyr region; Kyiv and Rivne regions showed lower rates.
• No differences in DMC, endometrial hyperplasia, or uterine polyps were observed between contaminated and clean territories in Kyiv region.