Where is humanity going? Is your destiny disappearing?
Although the question seems to be taken from some apocalyptic film, it may begin to take on more and more validity, a study suggests that it is a good time to ask the question.
Research by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that sperm count (number of sperm in semen) in men in the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, has fallen by 52.4% in less than 40 years. This fact points clearly to a drastic decrease in male fertility in the developed world. The total semen count, meanwhile, fell 59.3% between 1973 and 2011. According to the researchers themselves, this is a wake-up call for men.
"It means we have a serious problem with the health of men in the Western world," says the senior researcher at the Hadassah School of Public Health at the University, Hagai Levine.
The sperm count is an indicator of the general health of males as well as their fertility. Although data from around the world were analyzed, the trend was reflected in the four regions indicated.
The next step is to study the causes of male infertility."From previous research, we know that exposure to man-made chemicals, especially during the critical period of the development of the reproductive system in the early stages of pregnancy,
can severely disturb it," Levine says.
This can translate later in life as a low sperm count and fertility problems, he adds. The study is supported by factors such as age, sexual activity and types of men, which makes it more
reliable.
"If for example you have 50 studies and they all show the same tendency of decline in sperm counts, including different counting methods in different groups of men, it is much more
likely to be real," says Professor Daniel Brison, director scientist at the Department of Reproductive Health at the University of Manchester.
And the decline shows no signs of slowing down. The specialists affirm that a deeper investigation is urgent. The regulation of the environmental factors that would be contributing to the situation could be part of the solution.
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