Falling sperm count observed around the world. Men aren’t producing as much sperm as they used to. It’s a common occurrence all over the world. The rate of decline is quickening.
These are the key findings of a new analysis of sperm count studies published in the journal Human Reproduction Update on Tuesday. It is the most comprehensive report on the subject.
The researchers behind the analysis framed their findings in a news release as a “looming crisis” and a “canary in a coal mine” that could “threaten mankind’s survival.”
Shanna Swan, one of the study’s authors, stated in an interview that the new findings should raise concerns about men’s overall health and reproductive fitness.
Sperm count is an imperfect measure of fertility, and some outside researchers expressed concerns about the new study. Even critics agree that the study raises important questions about men’s reproductive health, which some believe has been neglected by science and is in need of further investigation.
However, Anawalt believes that the inherent limitations of this type of analysis — which combined results from more than 200 sperm count studies — could lead to incorrect conclusions. More research is needed to determine why sperm concentrations are dropping so dramatically and what is causing the problem.
The researchers behind the study first made headlines in 2017 when they published a paper showing declining sperm counts in North America, Europe, and Australia — all of which had readily available data.
That paper received widespread media attention and sparked scientific debate, including criticism from a Harvard research group for its narrow geographic focus and the language used to describe the areas studied.
According to the Harvard researchers, the paper was used as fodder for wild speculation about men’s health, as well as unfounded and racist theories by some white supremacist and alt-right groups. Falling sperm count observed around the world.
Despite the downward trend, men’s sperm counts remained higher in 2018 than the World Health Organization considers normal.
