Causes of the decline in sperm count are unknown

The decline's origins are uncertain. According to the study's authors, they lacked sufficient data from various geographic areas to determine whether sperm counts were generally lower in some nations than in others or whether they were dropping more quickly in particular places. 53 countries' worth of data were examined.

The authors also skipped over any potential causes of the drop. Levine suggested that it should be researched.

Levine claims that he and others have identified a few factors in other studies that are linked to reduced sperm counts. The womb is where reproductive health problems may 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,Lifestyle may also play an important role. Obesity, a lack of physical activity and diets high in ultra-processed food may all be culprits. The same factors that harm health in general usually are also harmful to semen quality," he said.

Typically, the same things that are bad for general health are also bad for the quality of semen.

 “The paper is very scientifically or statistically robust and does a good job of summarizing the data that is available in our field. But it’s important to recognize that that data is still very limited in how it was collected and how it was reported,” said Dr Scott Lundy, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the research.

According to Lundy, sperm counting standards and procedures have changed significantly over time, making it challenging to compare current levels to earlier records. However, he asserted, the field can only use past data.

“While it’s not a cause for panic, because the counts are by and large still normal, on average, there is a risk that they could become abnormal in the future, and we have to recognize that and study that further,” Lundy said.