The continued decline of sperm counts in men all over the world is a looming crisis that threatens the very existence of humanity, warns a new report. The first major analysis of its kind has shown declining sperm counts among men from South and Central America, Asia and Africa.
Alarmingly, the study also shows that the decline in sperm counts in North America, Europe, and Australia - reported by the same research team in 2017 - has continued and even accelerated in the 21st Century. The team explained that sperm count is not only an indicator of human fertility, it also is an indicator of men's health, with low levels being associated with increased risk of chronic disease, testicular cancer and a shorter lifespan.
They say the decline reflects a "global crisis" related to our modern environment and lifestyle, with broad implications for the survival of the human species. The work was conducted by an international team led by Professor Hagai Levine, of Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Braun School of Public Health, with Prof Shanna Swan at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, along with other researchers in Denmark, Brazil, Spain, Israel and the United States.
