There’s no direct evidence linking register receipts to damaged sperm, but why take chances? Think how many times a day someone slips a cash register receipt into your hand: Your morning coffee, your gas fill-up, your stock-up trip to the grocery store, your dinner and a movie. The transactions are endless. The problem is, about 40 percent of receipts today are coated with the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been linked to fertility problems and heart disease. A new study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility just discovered that men with higher BPA levels in their urine experienced low sperm counts and lower sperm quality than men with lower levels.

Protect yourself: While there’s no direct evidence linking receipt handling to infertility, why take chances? Until electronic receipts become commonplace, say you don’t want a receipt at the point of purchase. If you do need one, store it in an envelope or folder, not in a pocket or in the wallet you’re constantly breaking open. Keep receipts out of the recycling bin, too; their BPA can contaminate water and recycled-paper products.