By the way... Is this why sperm counts are falling?

MY ROLE mainly consists of answering health questions and educating, but on occasion I’m prompted to ask questions and raise concerns myself.

The puzzle I have revolves around two unexplained issues: firstly, as a recent report confirms, sperm counts have fallen by more than 50 per cent in 40 years; and second, there is an epidemic of gender confusion among the young.

Ever greater numbers are concerned that their gender is not aligned with their sex as determined by their chromosomes and anatomy.

My question is: could these two phenomena be linked?

It is already established that our world is polluted with endocrine-disrupting chemicals that alter the normal function of our hormones. These chemicals powerfully bind with oestrogen or androgen receptors in the body and stimulate or block normal hormonal functions.

One such chemical is glyphosate, commonly used as a weedkiller on wheat prior to harvesting. But it is also present in the flour used for making bread, so is detectable in most people — tests have confirmed that it is present in samples taken from people in 18 countries across Europe.

Is it possible that such endocrine-disrupting chemicals might be interacting or interfering with hormone sites in the developing brains of infants and children and — possibly — altering future perceptions of gender?

After all, the brain is the control centre for the entire hormonal system, and it is already known that pesticide exposure affects sperm cell formation.

What is needed is research and much more scientific investigation into what may be a worldwide problem.

There is much to explain, and we should all be concerned.