Having children in the future will become a challenge. If the birth rate is already falling, other problems add to the reproductive crisis that has been growing relentlessly for years. Men will have a hard time being fertile, as the number of sperm per ejaculate hasn’t dropped in nearly a century. And it’s not clear what causes this phenomenon and how we can reverse it.

Study. A study conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and published in the journal Human Reproduction Update He studied the cases of 153 men from 53 countries who were probably unaware of their fertility and suggested that the average sperm concentration fell from 101.2 million per milliliter to 49 million between 1973 and 2018. This is a 51.6% decrease. In the same period, the total sperm count also decreased by 62.3%.

His concentration has also fallen by half compared to 50 years ago, approaching the threshold of infertility. And the rate of decline has doubled so far this century. Looking at data collected on every continent since 1972, the researchers found that sperm concentrations were falling by 1.16% per year. However, the annual decrease since 2000 is 2.64%.

Why? Why? It’s not clear what might be behind this trend, according to Professor Hagai Levine, author of the study. One hypothesis that several scientists have argued is that endocrine disrupting chemicals or other environmental factors may play an important role in having an effect on the fetus in the womb. That is, exposure to chemicals and environmental pollutants that will cause a breakdown of hormones. hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Total sperm capacity is determined during fetal development, so exposure to man-made chemicals, stress, and malnutrition during pregnancy may be contributing factors.

In addition, habits such as smoking, drinking and obesity can have serious consequences. Excess weight changes hormone levels, adding more estrogen to the body. And excess fat around the male genitals can increase the heat there, which can reduce sperm production. A healthy lifestyle can undoubtedly help increase sperm count.

danger in the long run. Previous studies have shown that fertility will be compromised if the sperm concentration falls below 40 million per milliliter. While the latest estimate is still above this threshold, experts note that this is an average figure and the percentage of men below this threshold will increase. “This is a sign that something is wrong and we need to do something about it. I think this is a crisis that needs to be addressed now, before it reaches an irreversible tipping point,” Levine explained.

Another consequence: diseases. The consequences go beyond the decline in fertility. According to several studies, low sperm count is linked to more diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, and testicular cancers) and shorter life expectancy. And this has a negative impact on men’s health in general, with other negative trends generically referred to as testicular dysgenesis syndrome.

A barren future, an old future. These problems are not just an obstacle for couples trying to have children. They also pose a great challenge to society as the number of young people to work will decrease and the population will age further. As experts warn, World population peak to be reached by 2060s, with 9,700 million. Then it will decrease to 8,800 by 2100. This decline in births will cause the global average age to continue to rise, negatively impacting economies with a much more unstable pension system and dwindling workforce.