(National Pusle) Massively declining sperm counts are a global problem, according to new research that has evident implications for the survival of the natural human race.
Current trends in sperm counts, if extrapolated, suggest that, as early as 2050, the species may have trouble reproducing. The median man will have a sperm count of zero, meaning that one half of all men will produce no sperm at all, and the other half will produce so few as to be functionally infertile.
Researchers have further corroborated prior information gained on sperm counts in North America, Europe, and Australia, revealing the decline in sperm counts is mirrored in South and Central America, Asia, and Africa too.
Declining fertility and the resulting “crisis of masculinity” have become a political issue in the U.S. recently, aided by Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s documentary, The End of Men. The film drew furious responses from the liberal media, who accused Carlson of “ramping fears” and “push[ing] pseudoscience onto impressionable men.”
Worrying Trends Get Worse.
Now, Carlson’s claims look more prescient than pseudoscientific, with a team of researchers from Israel, the US, Denmark, Brazil and Spain analyzing sperm count data from 53 countries, in regions that had not previously been considered in such studies.
While sperm count data for North America, Europe, and Oceania had already been subjected to rigorous analysis and discussion, the same was not true for data from Latin America, Asia and Africa.
The researchers have been able to show, for the first time, that men in Latin America, Asia, and Africa are also suffering from exactly the same “significant decline” in total sperm counts (TSC) and sperm concentration (SC) as their counterparts in the West. What’s more, the researchers have also shown that the decline in TSC and SC has been accelerating globally since 2000.
“Overall, we’re seeing a significant worldwide decline in sperm counts of over 50 percent in the past 46 years, a decline that has accelerated in recent years,” said Prof. Levine in a media release to accompany the study.
“Our findings serve as a canary in a coal mine. We have a serious problem on our hands that, if not mitigated, could threaten mankind’s survival. We urgently call for global action to promote healthier environments for all species and reduce exposures and behaviors that threaten our reproductive health,” Levine adds.
Professor Shanna Swan, one of the co-authors of the research, has made headlines in the last year with her new book Count Down, in which she predicts an imminent “spermageddon” scenario, wherein by 2050, almost zer0-level sperm counts will lead to existential issues for humankind. The median man could have a sperm count of zero, meaning that one half of all men will produce no sperm at all, and the other half will produce so few as to be functionally infertile.
Although the study does not specifically investigate the causes of this decline in sperm counts outside the Western world, the authors are in no doubt that “lifestyle choices and chemicals in the environment” are playing an important role. These are precisely the causes Professor Swan identifies in her new book.
Obesity and inactivity are powerfully implicated in male fertility decline, and so is exposure to so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like BPA and phthalates. People around the world are getting fatter and doing less exercise, and the full extent of human exposure to endocrine disruptors, which are often essential to industrial processes like the manufacture of plastics, is now being revealed. Microplastics – tiny pieces of plastic that act as vectors for endocrine disruptors – have been found in arctic ice, circulating on wind currents, and at the bottom of the oceans, as well as in the lungs, brains and placentas of mammals, including humans.
Exposure to endocrine disruptors during gestation is a particular problem, and can adversely affect fetal development. Prof. Levine notes that recent research shows how disturbances in the development of the reproductive tract during fetal development display a link to lifetime impairment of fertility and other forms of reproductive dysfunction.
As well as serving as a measure of reproductive fitness, sperm counts are a more general index for male health. Low counts are tied to lower testosterone levels and an increased risk of chronic diseases, depression, testicular cancer and reduced lifespan.
“The troubling declines in men’s sperm concentration and total sperm counts at over 1 percent each year as reported in our paper are consistent with adverse trends in other men’s health outcomes, such as testicular cancer, hormonal disruption, and genital birth defects, as well as declines in female reproductive health. This clearly cannot continue unchecked,” explains Swan.
