Worrying news, lads.
Statistics are
showing that the sperm count in men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand has declined by 50-60 percent between 1973 and 2011. That's right – 50-60 percent. Yikes.
Interestingly, the
most recent study, which was conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, analysed sperm counts of 42,935 men and found that men from Asia, Africa, and South America show no signs of sperm count decline – very unlike the disturbing figures that their American and European counterparts are faced with.
Mass infertility is the 'logical conclusion' to the current patterns, according to one expert.
"If the data on sperm counts is extrapolated to its logical conclusion, men will have little or no reproductive capacity from 2060 onward,"
wrote Chris Barratt, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Dundee earlier this year.
So why is
male reproductive health under attack? Well, many scientists have long since warned about environmental factors and pollutants that are endocrine-disrupting – and how male foetuses are particularly susceptible to exposure to these.
Chemicals, such as
bisphenol A (found in many types of plastic), have been found to damage fertility, and many argue men (and women pregnant with baby boys) should limit their exposure to these.
Lifestyle is also likely to play a large part, with men being advised to stay clear off cigarette smoke and maintain a healthy weight and a good and clean lifestyle.
