There has been debate about it for years, but it now seems definitive that men's sperm counts, at least in the more developed parts of the world, are tanking.
A new high quality study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem indicates that sperm counts for men in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have decreased by an alarming 50-60% between 1973 and 2011. Interestingly, no such decline was found in men from Africa, Asia and South America. On the current trajectory, the developed world may be headed for a scary Handmaid's Tale-type infertility epidemic by around 2060.
Although the study was not able to pinpoint any causes, the fact that the declines are in the developed world (in both the northern and southern hemispheres) suggests that modern developed lifestyles may well be to blame. Whether that relates to air pollution, crop pesticides, or ubiquitous chemicals and agents like Bisphenol A (which has been linked to fertility problems) is not at all clear. Obesity has also been linked to low sperm counts.
Maybe the time has come to move back to the cradle of civilization?
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