A major study has found that sperm counts
of Western men are at a ‘shocking’ record
low that it now poses a potential threat to
fertility in industrialised countries.
There has been a 59.3 per cent drop in
sperm produced by men from North
America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
between 1973 and 2011.
One possible cause of the decline, which
shows no sign of slowing, is environmental
chemicals.
Study co-leader, Dr. Hagai Levine, of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the
findings were ‘an urgent wake-up call.’
Levine said, “Eventually, we may have a
problem, and with reproduction in general,
and it may be the extinction of the human
species.”
Professor Daniel Brison, of the department
of reproductive medicine at Manchester
University, said “the extent of the decline in
this study is shocking.”
Other fertility experts warned of a “double
whammy” caused by falling sperm counts
and women waiting until their 30s to get
pregnant.
The study, published in the journal Human
Reproduction Update, found no similar
decline in South America, Asia and Africa.
Co-author, Prof. Shanna Swan, from New
York’s Icahn School of Medicine, said: “The
fact that the decline is seen in Western
countries strongly suggests that chemicals
in commerce are playing a causal role.”
Exposure to chemicals in the womb, adult
exposure to pesticides, smoking, stress and
obesity have all been linked to falling sperm
counts.
