Last updated: Nov 27, 2022, 7:59 AM IST
The study took into account two metrics: sperm concentration and sperm count. (Credit: Reuters)
According to the study, sperm count dropped by 62.3% and sperm concentration by 51.6% from 101.2 million to 49 million per milliliter between 1973 and 2018.
A recent study has shown that men’s reproductive health is declining. Experts suggest sperm counts have declined rapidly and the study discusses the reasons for that. The new study, published in the Human Reproductive Update, revealed that sperm counts in men have dropped by more than 62 percent over the past 45 years. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 223 studies from 53 countries with data from 57,000 men who were not known to be infertile. The study was the largest study on sperm count and concentration, and showed marked declines in sperm health in Central and South America, Africa and Asia.
The study’s lead author, Professor Hagai Levine, told PTI news agency that India is also part of the trend. He revealed that the average sperm count fell from 104 to 49 million/ml and that such a dip clearly represented a decline in the population’s ability to reproduce. The results of the study point to a potential reproductive crisis if the trend continues.
The study took into account two metrics: sperm concentration and sperm count. Sperm concentration refers to the number of sperm cells per milliliter of semen and the total sperm count is the total number of sperm cells in a complete ejaculation. Sperm count is calculated by multiplying sperm concentration by semen volume.
Previous research published in 2017 by Levine and his team of researchers suggested that sperm concentration had dropped by more than half over the past 40 years. The updated study found that sperm count fell by 62.3 percent between 1973 and 2018, and sperm concentration by 51.6 percent from 101.2 million to 49 million per milliliter. According to the meta-regression model designed to analyze the data.
Although the cause of the decline in sperm counts and concentrations could not be determined, the possible causes cited were pollution, drugs, smoking, plastic and prescription drugs. Lifestyle issues such as obesity and poor diet are also included among the various contributing factors to the problem.
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