- The largest British study into sperm counts has found
that they have fallen by almost 30 per cent in 14 years, researchers announce
today.
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- The survey, based on almost 16,000 semen samples taken
between 1989 and 2002, lends weight to concerns that sperm counts are falling.
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- But it is a controversial area because an accurate number
for "normal" sperm counts is not precisely known and some studies
have failed to find evidence of a reduction.
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- Members of the British Fertility Society and the Association
of Clinical Psychologists, meeting in Liverpool, will hear that counts
fell by 29 per cent in men taking part in a study in Scotland.
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- Dr Siladitya Bhattacharya, consultant at the assisted
conception unit, Aberdeen University, and senior lecturer, found that counts
fell from about 87 million per millilitre in 1989 to 62 million by 2002.
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- All the men attended the Aberdeen Fertility Centre and
had counts in the normal range. Counts of below 20 million are considered
abnormal and at a level where a man may not be able to father a child.
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- Dr Bhattacharya said the results were significant. The
level of 62 million did not affect a man's fertility, "but we need
to know if the counts are going to continue to fall.
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- "We cannot say there has been a fall in male fertility...
but the drop in sperm counts must cause some concern and needs to be explained."
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- Dr Bhattacharya said there were two broad reasons for
the reduction: environment and genetic factors.
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- Other research has pointed to increased oestrogen in
water supplies, the result of women's use of the Pill and hormone replacement
therapy.
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- Industrial processes have also been blamed, including
the use of solvents and high concentrations of lead.
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- A recent paper suggested that plastic-lined nappies might
play a part because they raised the temperature of baby boys' scrotums.
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004.
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