Falling sperm counts could lead to end of human race –Study
Sperm counts of Western men are at a ‘shocking’ record low
that it now poses a potential threat to fertility in industrialised countries,
a major study found.
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.
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