Worldwide, sperm counts in men are declining at an increasing rate, according to a new study. Between 1973 and 2018, the average sperm concentration fell by more than 51 percent, from 101.2 million to 49 million. The data also showed that “this global decline is accelerating in the 21st century,” according to the study published Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction Update.
According to researchers led by Israeli epidemiologist Hagai Levine, sperm count is currently falling by 1.1 percent per year. The reasons for this are unclear. Therefore, more research and action is urgently needed to prevent male reproductive ability from worsening.
For their meta-analysis, the researchers evaluated data from more than 57,000 men from 223 studies in 53 countries. It essentially confirmed the findings of a 2017 study that was criticized for including only data from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
(AFP)