Scientists and physicians agree that there’s been a general decline in male fertility — but they aren’t sure why.Social media buzz has pointed to a few environmental exposures as potential factors, including cellphones and electric vehicles.But the reality is "more complicated" than that, according to experts who recently spoke to National Geographic.ORIGIN OF DEADLY CANCER AFFECTING YOUNG ADULTS REVEALED IN ALARMING REPORTAlthough it’s not clear whether the decline is at a stage where it should be considered a crisis, numbers show that overall fertility — demographically measured by the number of babies born compared to women of child-bearing age — has decreased.Dr. Alex Robles of the Columbia University Fertility Center in New York confirmed that clinical practitioners are "certainly seeing more couples where the male factor contributes to infertility."CELLPHONE HEALTH RISKS IN FOCUS OF NEW GOVERNMENT STUDY: 'VERY CONCERNED'"At least one-third of couples we evaluate have some male component," he told Fox News Digital.A 2017 meta-analysis published in Oxford Journals: Human Reproduction Update found that sperm counts in Western countries have declined by almost 60% globally since 1973. The 2023 update confirmed these same results.Lead study author and epidemiologist Hagai Levine warned that this trend could lead to human extinction if it isn’t addressed."This is the canary in the coal mine," Levine, public health physician at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health, told National Geographic. "It signifies that something is very wrong with our current environment, as lower sperm counts predict morbidity and mortality." DOCTORS WARN SOME POPULAR FOODS AND DRINKS COULD BE SECRETLY SABOTAGING MEN'S TESTOSTERONE LEVELSThese findings have been contradicted by other studies, however. A 2025 Cleveland Clinic analysis of studies from the last 53 years found sperm counts to be steady."There is no evidence to suggest that this decline is the cause of a precipitous decline in the ability to cause pregnancies," primary study author Scott Lundy, a reproductive urologist at Cleveland Clinic, told National Geographic. "Most men, even with a modest decline in sperm counts, will still have no issues conceiving."Multiple lifestyle factors can lead to a decline in male fertility, Robles noted, including obesity, smoking and diet, as well as environmental exposures and delayed parenthood.National Geographic also reported that heavy drinking and marijuana use directly contribute to declining fertility and that quitting these habits, while also exercising and losing weight, can help.Systemic inflammation, infection and disease can also have a "big, profound effect on the current… [TheTopNews] Read More.
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