Male sperm counts have appeared to be on the decline by more than 50% globally over the past 50 years. A new study suggests humans could face a reproductive crisis due to this steep decline and male fertility overall.
Often reported as the canary in the coal mine, male infertility is an overall marker of men's health. Male fertility can mark an individual’s morbidity, cancer risk, physical health and longevity.
While fertility and urology experts note this is not new information, this medical review provides concrete and updated facts regarding decline in sperm count on a global level, noted Dr. Helen Bernie, director of Male Sexual and Reproductive Medicine and Urology Professor at Indiana University.
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“We're actually having sperm or fertility parameters declining in men at about greater than two and a half percent per year. So it's pretty alarming,” Bernie said. “I think that most reproductive andrologists, like myself, would agree that we definitely are seeing sperm and fertility parameters in men declining. The question is, is what's causing it? And that's really where a lot of the debate is.”
Experts note the decline in male fertility cannot be attributed to just one factor. The combination of several environmental, lifestyle and medical conditions are at play.
“More patients, more people, especially in the US, are overweight. They're tobacco smokers. They have stress. They're not sleeping well. They live sedentary life,” Bernie said. “All of these things that impact fertility as well as all the chemicals being used nowadays.”
The list of factors that contribute to fertility include but are not limited to, tobacco use, excessive alcohol and drug use, environmental and occupational exposures, as well as medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, or other comorbid conditions.
James Donahue is a fertility specialist at Family Beginnings in Indianapolis. He noted several patients in Indiana work in factories, where high temperatures can affect sperm health.
Donahue notes even healthy individuals with no medical history can have low sperm count, which is why getting tested is an informative first step.
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“You can be a very healthy person, no medical problems whatsoever, and still have a low sperm count. [You could be] running marathons or whatever but still have an issue with [fertility],” Donahue said. “So it's really important that people do get checked…Testing, it gives us a lot of information and tells us where to go.”
Taking that first step consists of getting a semen analysis and a blood test that checks the male patient’s hormonal panel. If there are abnormalities, there are behavioral lifestyle changes that urologists or andrologists can suggest to address the issues, Donahue and Bernie noted.
