A 'shocking' new scientific study has found that sperm counts among Western men have declined by over half in just four decades, prompting worries of a fertility crisis.
The research, published in Human Reproduction Update, analysed 185 studies published between 1973 and 2011 to reach the conclusion that sperm concentration has dropped by 52.4 percent and total sperm count by 59.3 percent among men living in North America, Europe and Australasia.
This pattern, however, was not noted among men in South America, Africa and Asia, though fewer fertility studies have been conducted in these locations.
The researchers could not pinpoint one main cause for this major decline, though according to the paper, it might come as a result of ‘environmental influences,’ including hormone-disruptive chemicals, pesticides and lifestyle factors such as diet, stress, smoking and weight.
‘Sperm count may sensitively reflect the impacts of the modern environment on male health throughout the life course,’ the paper states.
Hagai Levine, the study’s lead author, described the findings as a ‘wake-up call,’ explaining that ‘given the importance of sperm counts for male fertility and human health, this study is an urgent wake-up call for researchers and health authorities around the world to investigate the causes of the sharp ongoing drop in sperm count, with the goal of prevention.’
For Levine, the high number of men in the West with a sperm concentration lower than 40 million / ml is ‘particularly concerning’ given that a concentration below this point is linked to the ‘decreased monthly probability of conception.’
Equally worrying is the fact that a lower sperm count often indicates a lower life expectancy, and increased likelihood of cancer.
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