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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Adrienne Matei

Plastics, pesticides and pills: how chemical exposures affect sperm health

Abstract sperm cells swimming towards egg cell on pink background.
A study found sperm counts have fallen by half, from an average of 99m sperm per milliliter to just 47m. Photograph: Firn/Getty Images

Last year, a team of international researchers published a global review which revealed that sperm concentrations in semen have been freefalling for the last 50 years. From 1973 to 2018, sperm declined at a rate of 1.2% up to 2000, accelerating to 2.6% annually thereafter.

Their ultimate finding was stark: sperm counts have fallen by half, from an average of 99m sperm per milliliter to just 47m. This decrease indicates a growing number of men may encounter challenges conceiving within a year.

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