Research indicating a serious decline in male fertility made headlines in late July 2017. This matter was selected as this month’s Featured Issue because little has been published that explains the cause for this situation. Assuming that both total sperm counts and semen concentrations are at levels that will affect fertility and men’s health, why is there not an outcry demanding research that uncovers causes and solutions before this trend gets even worse?

The latest research report screened 7,518 published reports and comprehensively analyzed 185 studies done between 1973 and 2011. The conclusions reported a 50-60 percent decline in sperm counts among men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand over that 38-year period. These findings are worrisome to many because men’s sperm counts are not only linked to their chances of conceiving a child, but also to a number of other poor health-related outcomes, including an increased risk of early death.

While articles in the media pointed out that this 2017 summary research report did not address the causes for the declining sperm counts, many articles did report some possible causes noted in the past. These primarily included environmental and lifestyle influences. Some specific causes mentioned were prenatal chemical exposure, adult pesticide exposure, smoking, stress, and obesity.

ISSUE: Should not knowing the causes for declining sperm counts be a wake-up call?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position on issues. For those interested in this month’s issue, the following articles have been selected to get you started on your research.

Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis (7/25/17)
by Hagai Levine, Niels Jørgensen, Anderson Martino-Andrade, Jaime Mendiola, Dan Weksler-Derri, Irina Mindlis, Rachel Pinotti, Shanna H. Swan
Human Reproductive Update

Significant ongoing decline in sperm counts of Western men (7/26/17)
by The Hebrew University
ScienceDaily

Low sperm count: What causes a decline in sperm count? (8/10/17)
by Devon Andre
Bel Marra Health 

The infertility crisis is beyond doubt (7/29/17)
The Observer

Sperm count drop ‘could make humans extinct’ (7/25/17)
by Pallab Ghosh
BBC News

The Emerging Sperm Count Crisis (7/22/17)
Alliance For Natural Health USA

We encourage you to post your comments. You are also invited to share additional resources you have found relating to this issue.

To review past ISSUES, visit the Special Update eReport Archives.