(estrogen-like compounds from plants) and mycoestrogens (estrogen-like compounds from fungi). While natural xenohormones exist, there are not as many compounds found in nature which are capable of interacting with human androgen receptors, so humans are most likely to come into contact with man-made xenoandrogens by taking anabolic steroids or through pollutants which contain xenoandrogens. "Organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs)" are several pesticides known to contain xenoandrogens. When present in excessive amounts within the human body, xenohormones can cause a host of health issues due to their disruption of the endocrine system. The name given to these exogenous (coming from an external source) hormones is “endocrine disruptors,” due to their tendency to mimic the behaviors of naturally produced bodily hormones. The negative effects of excessive xenoestrogen involve a long list of developmental abnormalities, especially when the exposure occurs during a critical postnatal period. When high levels of xenoestrogen are experienced shortly after birth, “urogenital tract and nervous system development” are hindered, as they are known to be “especially sensitive to hormonal disruption.” When exposure occurs during this early stage of life, these effects tend to be permanent. The consequences of excessive xenohormone exposure in adulthood are different, and typically more temporary in nature. This is to say that the health risks can be minimized if the individual is removed from their state of excessive exposure. Xenohormone-related issues in adults frequently take the form of increased cancer risk in reproductive/secondary sexual areas (“breast, uterine, ovarian, prostate, testicular.” Sperm count in men and fertility in women have also been attributed to xenohormone exposure in adulthood. When present in the body, xenohormones can bind with estrogen receptors in the brain, leading to a disruption in the endocrine system as a whole. Such hormones have also been observed to interfere with the production of proteins. These “endocrine disruptors” have also been found to affect the levels and behaviors of a number of other bodily hormones. Because of this, it is difficult to establish a definitive relationship between xenohormones and health problems, making effects hard to predict. Effect on Humans Research indicates that exposure to certain xenohormones can result in severe health risks, including infertility, early puberty, thyroid problems, endometriosis, and certain types of cancers. It has also been claimed that certain xenoestrogens, most commonly phytoestrogens and mycoestrogens can have beneficial health effects, though it is not yet clear to what extent