A New Study Suggests the Insect Repellent DEET Might Affect Reproductive Systems

By Victoria St. Martin

For years, researchers studying DEET—the chemical that’s widely used in insect repellants—have noted how in some cases it can harm brain cells, cause seizures and adversely affect the central nervous system. Now a group of scientists at Harvard University have found that the substance may jeopardize reproductive functions, too.