Why is male fertility falling? 2023
Is the world currently experiencing a masculine fertility crisis? Or are we exaggerating the issue? Here is all the information you need to know:
How has the fecundity of men decreased?
According to a 2022 study published in the journal Human Reproductive Update, the human sperm count has decreased by more than 50 percent in the past 50 years. More than half of the world’s population lives in countries with a fertility rate of less than two children per mother, as reported by BBC. And low sperm count is not the only contributing factor; according to the BBC, research also indicates a decline in testosterone levels, as well as higher rates of testicular cancer and erectile dysfunction in males.
Michael Eisenberg, a urologist, that reproduction is one of the fundamental functions of every species. Therefore, if there is a signal that reproduction is declining, I believe that is a very significant discovery.
According to a new report from the World Health Organization, infertility affects one in every six individuals worldwide.
Why is masculine fecundity on the decline?
Although the precise cause of the decline remains unknown, several hypotheses have emerged.
BBC defines epigenetic changes as “modifications to the way genes function caused by environmental or lifestyle factors,” which could account for lower sperm counts in males. Hagai Levine, an epidemiology professor, told the outlet, “There are indications that it may be cumulative across generations.” This [declining sperm count] is an indicator of the ill health of males, and perhaps the entire human race.
Furthermore, a general decline in health may be a factor. There is a significant correlation between a man’s reproductive and overall health. Therefore, it may also indicate that we are not as robust as we once were, as urologist Eisenberg told CNN. In an interview with CNN, Levine added that “maternal stress, maternal smoking, and notably exposure to manmade compounds in plastic, such as phthalates, can also disrupt the development of the male reproductive system.”
The environment and climate change could also play a role. According to a 2022 research, increasing temperatures have a negative effect on sperm quality. According to the study, “heat stress is deemed to be the most influential factor in reproductive function in mammals.” Furthermore, according to the BBC, “chemicals found in plastics, household medications, the food chain, and the air” can cause DNA fragmentation or “damage or fractures in the genetic material of the sperm.”
Is this therefore cause for concern?
Diverse perspectives exist on the issue.
According to Rachel Gross of The New York Times, “no one knows what a ‘optimal’ sperm count would be.” Fertility requires 40 million sperm per milliliter of semen, and a higher count “does not indicate that a male is more fertile.”
Moreover, “the method of sperm analysis has evolved over the decades. It has progressed. CNN quoted Dr. Alexander Pastuczak, a surgeon and assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, as saying, “It has become more standardized, but not flawlessly.” Even if you took the same semen sample from the 1960s and 1970s and ran it through a semen analysis today, the results would be different.
Levine, a professor of epidemiology, argued to BBC that the topic “should be investigated.” We do not know if the public health crisis we are confronting is reversible. He stated that the decline in both sperm quality and quantity could be indicative of a larger issue.
Urologist Dr. Scott Lundy of the Cleveland Clinic concurs. CNN quoted him as saying, “While it is not a cause for alarm because the counts are still largely normal on average, there is a danger that they could become abnormal in the future, and we must recognize that and investigate it further.”
