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Latest Surrogacy News
Sperm counts have
dropped by a almost third in 10 years
Mon Jan 5
Yahoo
News
LONDON (AFP) -
Male sperm counts have
fallen by almost a third since 1989, with factors such
as drinking and obesity possibly to blame, according to
a British study.
A survey of 7,500 men who attended the Aberdeen
Fertility Centre in northern Scotland between 1989 and
2002 brought alarming findings, researchers said Monday.
Analysis of sperm samples showed that in men with
what is considered a "normal" concentration of sperm --
defined as over 20 million sperm per millilitre of semen
-- the average sperm count fell by 29 percent.
This "must cause some concern and needs to be
explained", said Dr Siladitya Bhattacharya, who led the
research project.
"There could be a number of lifestyle factors which
could play a role in this," he said.
"It just highlights the need for research to discover
what these reasons might be, as well as the need for
further studies elsewhere in the country to see if they
support our results."
Drug use, alcohol, smoking and obesity have all been
linked to a decline in sperm counts, as well as
pesticides and other chemicals in the environment.
In 1986, Scotland was affected by the fallout from
the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but Bhattacharya said it
was "almost impossible" to say for certain whether this
or any other individual factor was to blame.
It could also not be concluded that there had been a
fall in male fertility, as factors other than just sperm
count played a part, he added.
"There has been an increase in men seeking treatment
for male infertility, but whether this is due to a
significant increase in this condition or because men
are more aware of new techniques which have been
developed to help them, we cannot say."
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