Male Fertility Under Serious Threat According to New Study
Male fertility has significantly fallen in the last 50 years, and scientists blame it to a wide range of factors, including diet, chemical exposure – and even tight underwear.
A major study, which involved over 26,000 men in France, reveals that the sperm count and quality have begun to drop since the start of 1990s. It also confirms previous research that male fertility is alarmingly decreasing in many countries, particularly the developed ones. Researchers also found that every year, there was a 32.2% reduction in sperm concentration which is equivalent to nearly 2% per year. From 1989, the concentration dropped from 71.4 million sperm per millilitre to 48.8 million per millilitre in 2005. Testosterone levels have also declined.
The proportion of normal sperms cells also fell from 64 to 41 in the same period.
Scientists say it’s a ‘serious warning’ to British men. And the fact that the decline was progressive over the past 17 years is an indication that the problem is on-going, they added.
According to Professor Richard Sharpe from the University of Edinburgh, this issue has never been viewed as any sort of health priority in the UK, perhaps because there has always been doubt as to whether the falling sperm count is real. And because of this, there has been very little action.
Prof Sharpe added that many are delaying pregnancy until they are 30 – the age when female fertility starts to decline. Combined with the decreasing sperm counts, this would mean more couples will be experiencing fertility problems.
The researchers said it is the first study to show a severe, overall reduction in sperm concentration and quality in the entire country for over a substantial period of time.
There are several factors that affect sperm count and quality, scientists suggest. These include poor diet, obesity, too much chemical exposure, smoking, and wearing tight underwear.
In another study by the European Science Foundation in 2010, researchers revealed that 10% of couples worldwide are infertile. In Europe, at least one in 5 men ages 18-25 has poor quality sperm. Scientists blame it on the increasing rate of testicular cancer and other sperm developmental abnormalities that are very prevalent in industrialised countries.
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Source of this article:
Male Reproductive Problems May Add to Falling Fertility Rates
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