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One of the first places where researchers are looking is in the womb , where sperm damage is believed to start . production over many decades , while one key goal should be investigating whether any environmental factors ( diet , lifestyle , exposure to chemicals ) have been affecting sperm health .
What affects male reproductive health ? The authors of the meta-analysis have yet to identify any clear-cut causes for the supposed drop in sperm count but have suggested certain substances , obesity , unhealthy diets , and lack of physical activity may play a role .
One of the first places where researchers are looking is in the womb , where sperm damage is believed to start . “ We know that stress of the mother , maternal smoking and especially exposure to manmade chemicals that are in plastic , such as phthalates , disrupt the development of the male reproductive system ,” Dr Hagai Levine , author of the meta-analysis and an epidemiologist at the Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine , told CNN .
Several studies have shown an association between chemicals that are commonly found in many products , including bisphenol A and phthalates , and damage to male reproductive health . A common theory is that these substances can disrupt the production of hormones , chemicals produced in the body to develop reproductive functions ( like testosterone ), while the foetus is growing in the mother ’ s womb .
Though most research has focused on the potential effects of disruption by environmental chemicals , they are unlikely to be the biggest or only cause of damage to male reproductive health , including abnormal sperm count , Professor Sharpe believes . He stresses that exposure to chemicals such as bisphenol A and phthalates may just be proxies for unhealthy diets , which are the biggest source of exposure to these chemicals . “ I think it ’ s much more likely that it ’ s going to be things like our changes in diet that are responsible �for disruption to male reproductive health� ,” he said . Some studies have shown , in particular , that “ the higher the saturated fats in the diet the lower the sperm count .”
Similarly , the detrimental role played by common medicines hasn ’ t been adequately researched , despite the fact that these compounds are regularly taken by many people , including pregnant women , and some research points to their harmful effects .
“ There ’ s very good evidence that paracetamol at human therapeutic levels could interfere with the production of testosterone by the foetal testes early in gestation ,” he said . He cautioned , however , that we didn ’ t know how long the exposure would have to last to cause problems like the reduced ability to produce sperm later in adulthood , as this was a piece of information that was hard to get because of the great difficulty in determining what is happening inside the testes of the early foetus and relating this to events , such as sperm production , two to three decades later .
Equally challenging is identifying a solid link between maternal diets around pregnancy and sperm count in offspring because that requires a study to check people from birth until adulthood and “ nobody is going to fund you to do that .”
For this reason , researchers tend to do retrospective studies where they analyse different groups of people with and without reproductive health problems while comparing their past exposure to potentially harmful substances or lifestyles . “ Then it becomes much more difficult to tie things down and become absolutely sure that you are measuring the right thing and at the right time and you are not mistaking the effects of one thing for something else ,” Professor Sharpe said .
Even the score with female reproductive health Other research goals that are equally paramount include investigating how male reproductive health affects both fertility and offspring health to match what we already know about the reproductive system in women — an objective that also requires greater awareness about the fact that women aren ’ t the only ones responsible for declining fertility and poor offspring health .
Historically , there ’ s been little attention paid to male reproductive health compared to that of women , with medical specialities like obstetrics and gynaecology having quickly gained currency to cater to the reproductive needs of women while also emphasising their role in reproduction . No comparable area of medicine has played a similar role for men .
This has created a culture where women are encouraged to have their reproductive systems
More research on sperm production and male reproductive health is needed
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