Main Theme
In an article titled “Effects of Sex and Gender on Adaptations to Space: Reproductive Health,” the authors seek to find how an extended stay during space missions affects sex or gender reproduction-related health responses and adaptations. The research findings will ensure the healthy aging of individuals who travel in space and minimize associated risks. They note that to date, only fifteen percent of the astronauts who have been to space are women (Ronca et al., 2014).
However, the number of women going to space is increasing, and there has been a transition from short to long space flights. Consequently, the authors see an urgent need to study the effects of radiation, microgravity, and stress on the human body. Thus, the central theme of the research paper is the effects of radiation, microgravity, and stress on sex and gender-related responses and adaptations in reproduction.
Three Aspects of Space Travel Effects
While studying the effects of radiation, they note that the level of radiation is mission-specific and that radiation levels depend on many factors. The exposure while on the ISS is moderate, but they note that travel to other planets, such as Mars, would lead to significant exposure to radiation. In both men and women, high-dose exposure to radiation is a major cause of temporary infertility. However, the number of people exposed to space radiation is insufficient to draw substantive conclusions about the different ways men and women react to space radiation exposure (Ronca et al., 2014).
Additionally, as the duration of space travel increases, prolonged exposure to microgravity conditions requires an analysis to determine its impact on reproduction. Specifically, the physiology of sperm production by the testis is impacted by increased exposure to microgravity. However, the effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity conditions for women and men remain largely unknown due to the limited data available.
Stress is the third factor that impacts reproduction for people engaged in prolonged space travel. In females, delayed pregnancy has been observed as they try to cope with the complexities of space travel after their return. However, as is the case with exposure to microgravity and radiation, adequate data to substantiate claims have been lacking, as the number of people who travel to space is insufficient to draw specific conclusions (Ronca et al., 2014).
Research Gap
Consequently, there is a knowledge gap on the effects of radiation, exposure to microgravity, and stress on the reproductive health of men and women who travel in space. In light of the knowledge gap, they recommend further research into the topic. Specifically, there is a significant lack of understanding of how spaceflight affects gonadal function and what causes bone loss. There is also a critical lack of information on the effects of microgravity and concentrations of sex hormones.
More information is needed on the effects of space travel on the human body. While the research limited itself to the effects of space travel on the reproductive system, other chemical and biological processes are also affected. As human beings strive for interplanetary travel, there is an increased urgency to conclusively understand how interstellar travel will affect the human body.
It is currently impossible to draw generalized conclusions about the effects of space travel on the human body due to the limited number of astronauts and the brief duration of their trips. A definitive understanding of how radiation, microgravity, and stress impact the reproductive systems of both genders requires more people to travel to and remain in space for longer periods.
Reference
Ronca, A. E., Baker, E. S., Bavendam, T. G., Beck, K. D., Miller, V. M., Tash, J. S., Jenkins, M. (2014). Effects of sex and gender on adaptations to space: Reproductive health. Journal of Women’s Health, 23(11), 967–974.