Sperm counts and concentrations are down all over the world, according to a new study that updates previous research and raises questions about exposures and men’s health.
From 1973 to 2000, sperm counts dropped by 12% per year, “which is a lot”, said Hagai Levine, who helped lead the research. From 2000 to 2018, the decline was 2.6% per year, which is an amazing pace”.
Experts say falling sperm counts might mean it takes longer to have children. Here’s what to know: What’s the evidence; what’s the impact on fertility; why are sperm counts falling; and what can be done to remedy the situation?
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON FERTILITY?
It’s not a crisis just yet. But “we can’t ignore that things are changing. Lifestyles have changed. Dietary patterns certainly have changed; we are exposing our bodies to altered conditions. In response to this altered Y, we are seeing a decrease in sperm concentration, says Amy Sparks, a reproductive psychologist at the University of Ilowa. Yet, other scientists think the drop in sperm count is a problem for today’s families, not just future ones.
Although most American couples can manage to have one or two children, it may take them more time now. In Israel and Africa, where some religious families want to have 10 children, slower fertility may mean they run out of time.
Bruce Redmon, of the University of Minnesota Medical School, who studies male reproductive disorders, thinks it’s not yet a big deal but cautions that the research was a reasonable one, adding that it’s important to continue to take seriously and look at.
WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?
The new study is a meta-analysis, which means it combined findings from more than 250 previous studies. It also updates a previous meta-analysis the team published in 2017, adding data on sperm counts from 2011 to 2018 and regions in South America, Asia, and Africa where data had been incomplete before.
Men in the global south have seen the same significant decline in sperm count and concentration as the team showed in 2017 among men in North America, Europe, and Australia, whose sperm counts and concentrations continued to fall, according to the new study report.
Sperm count is an imperfect measure of fertility, but there’s a threshold below which a low sperm count affects the chances of reproduction. On a population level, the study suggests that median sperm counts have dropped from 104 to 49 million per millilitre over the past few decades.
That means more men are likely to have sperm counts below the fertility threshold than was the case 50 years ago, said Levine, an epidemiologist and public health physician at the Braun School of Public Health at Hadassah University Medical Center.
WHAT CAN MEN DO TO BOOST THEIR SPERM COUNT?
Men concerned about their fertility should speak to their doctor. Experts say it’s important. It’s important to be evaluated and determine whether there are specific treatments that may help.
Being healthy overall is important for reproductive health. “I always tell men that there’s a strong link between fertility and health, so anything that’s good for your heart is good for fertility,” says Dr. Eisenberg.
A Few Other Tips:
* Alcohol Use: Moderate alcohol use is OK because studies suggest that serum quality drops only after about 20 drinks a week.
* Avoid extreme heat
There’s no strong link between what kind of underwear men wear and their gender. But heat exposure isn’t good, so he advises avoiding hot tubs and saunas while trying to conceive.
* Taking Testosterone
They also discourage patients from using testosterone, which has been tested as a contraceptive, because it reduces sperm production. Courtesy USA Today, sponsored by : Mosimo Foundation
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