Sperm count drop could make man extinct

50% drop in sperm count in less than 40 years in Europe, America, Aus

London, July 26: Sperm counts in men from America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have dropped by more than 50 per cent in less than 40 years, researchers said on Wednesday.

They also said the rate of decline is not slowing. Both findings — in a metaanalysis bringing together various studies — pointed to a potential decline in male health and fertility.

“This study is an urgent wake-up call for researchers and health authorities around the world to investigate the causes of the sharp ongoing drop in sperm count,” said Hagai Levine, who co-led the work at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Jerusalem.

The analysis did not explore reasons for the decline, but researchers said falling sperm counts have previously been linked to various factors such as exposure to certain chemicals and pesticides, smoking, stress and obesity.

This suggests measures of sperm quality may reflect the impact of modern living on male health and act as a “canary in the coal mine” signaling broader health risks, they said.

Humans could become extinct if sperm counts in men continue to fall at current rates, a doctor has warned. “If we will not change the ways that we are living and the environment and the chemicals that we are exposed to, I am very worried about what will happen in the future,” Dr Hagai Levine told BBC.

Studies have reported declines in sperm count since the early 1990s, but many of those have been questioned because they did not account for potentially major confounding factors such as age, sexual activity and the types of men involved.

The same trend was not seen in other parts of the world such as South America, Africa and Asia, although the scientists said fewer studies had been carried out there.

An expert said it was the “most comprehensive to date”, and described the figures as “shocking” and a “wake-up call”.