In a news article published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives researchers blame endocrine disruptors and diet for declining fertility in men (Burton 2013). A study published in February 2013 in the peer-reviewed journal Human Reproduction had suggested a long term decline of male fertility in France (Rolland, et al.2013). This study was now the basis for a news article by Adrian Burton, which contemplates possible causes for the decline in fertility.

The study by Rolland and others investigated the trends in sperm counts amongst French men since the 1980s and showed that sperm counts had decreased by 1.9 per cent annually between 1989 and 2005. 26 609 French men between 18 and 70 years of age and partners of women known to be totally infertile (fallopian tubes were either missing or blocked) had participated in the study. Consequently recruitment was not based on the men’s own fertility status and the sample is deemed representative for the general population.

References

Burton, A. (2013). Study Suggests Long-Term Decline in French Sperm Quality. Env Health Persp 121,2, A46.

Rolland M, et al. (2013). Decline in semen concentration and morphology in a sample of 26,609 men close to general population between 1989 and 2005 in France. Human Reproduction 28 (2): 462-470.

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