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Reuters
When it comes to sperm counts, French men aren't what they used to be, according to a new study.
Researchers found that between 1989 and 2005, the number of sperm in one milliliter of the average 35-year-old Frenchman's semen fell from about 74 million to about 50 million - a decrease of roughly 32 percent.
"That's certainly within the normal range, but if you think about it, if there continues to be a decrease, we would expect that we'll get into that infertile range," said Grace Centola, president of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology in Birmingham, Alabama.
And the French aren't the only ones who should be concerned about a lack of swimmers, say researchers.
"A decline in male reproduction endpoints has been suspected for several decades and is still debated all around the world. Geographical differences have been observed between countries, and between areas inside countries," said Dr. Joëlle Le Moal, the study's lead author from the Institut de Veille Sanitaire in France.
Le Moal and her colleagues write in the journal Human Reproduction that global analyses have found decreases in sperm counts, as did recent studies in Israel, India, New Zealand and Tunisia.
Centola, who wasn't involved with the new research, told Reuters Health that she's found similar results in a group of young sperm donors from Boston, too.
For the new study, Le Moal and her colleagues used a database of France's 126 fertility clinics that recorded men's semen samples from 1989 through 2005.
The researchers narrowed their study to 26,600 samples provided by men whose female partners were later found to be infertile. That, they say, minimizes the risk that the men had a fertility problem.
Over the 16-year period, the researchers found there was about a 2 percent annual decrease in the number of sperm in one milliliter of the average man's semen.
"One would look at that and say it's not all that much. It isn't, but if it's occurring on a yearly basis it can add up," said Centola.
"Clearly if this type of decrease continues, we're going to find that we're going to have young men that have low sperm counts," she said.
The World Health Organization defines anything over 15 million per milliliter of semen as normal. However, the study's authors suggest that it may take longer for men with counts in the lower range of normal to conceive.
Environmental factors?
The researchers also found that there was an increase in the number of abnormally shaped sperm over the study period, which can also influence fertility.
Part of that finding, however, can be explained by scientists getting better at recognizing misshapen swimmers, but not all of it.
"So both results are important," said Le Moal.
But why does it seem men are shooting more blanks than before?
Two recent studies have actually suggested that modern technology such as laptops may be capable of cooking sperm, but the new researchers suggest it could be also be other environmental factors, such as increased exposure to harmful chemicals that may decrease sperm count.
But Le Moal said it's also important to consider that men's lifestyles may have changed over time. For example, men may be more sedentary and/or heavier than they were in 1989.
"I think it's a combination of a lot of things," said Centola, who added that it could be both environmental factors and diet.
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When you only have half a ball, the sperm count is gonna be lower.
Maybe it's just this "evolution" thing the non belivers keep talking about. The weaker of the species is destined to die off. Either that or it's proof that there really is a God.
Evolution is a fact. God is a myth.
There may come a time when a species dies off in its entirety. It has happened for almost all the species that ever lived. Why can't it happen for us? The point is that the reduced numbers aren't to be taken lightly.
I'll pray things get better.
So even their sperm give up? No surprise there.
Who counts at a party ?
When you make love three times a day, you are bound to have a low sperm count.
Stress can have a profound effect on sperm count. Men live more stressful lives today than their fathers. Uncertainty concerning their economic viability as technology removes more on more jobs annually. Unless you have a handle on where this is all going your sperm count will drop dramatically due to your understandable fears. Males in third world countries have much higher sperm counts I'd bet. The more technology driven your country is the greater the reduction in sperm count will be. Come to think of it. This is very Darwinian. How else would anxiety ridden men be eliminated from our evolutionary future.
Graphiques explicites représentant aujourd'hui des actes privés disponibles ne conviennent pas non accompagnés par les amateurs dans les relations si dévouées.
Il existe une théorie que l'amour les images vues dans les imprimés depuis de nombreuses années, la migration des supports vidéo a fait grand dommage aux relations personnelles.
Étant donné que ces échantillons de sperme étaient rares et il n'y a universal port série pour l'instrumentation bioanalytique qui pourrait être utilisée pour signaler l'utilisation de la console de jeu ou d'autres exercices suggestives.
Nous devons vaincre la timidité chez une espèce qui a des armes qui permet pour les mains pour atteindre aussi facilement pour les organes privés.
Sorry for the French but we need to spare the Americans.
too much jerking off or sex in the early teen ages deplete your sperm count too.
They have Men in France? Are you sure? I thought that is why they created the Foreign Legion because all the Brave men were killed in the wars leaving the dregs and to father the following generations, sort of what has happened in the United States where all the brave men went off to war leaving the Draft dodgers and the Rejects to breed which has produced the majoirty of what we have now in the United States and the Brave men are still going off to war. I think we need to bring all our brave men home from around the world so the Country can restock it's supply of brave men and retake our life style and way of living back from the dregs and Socalist Demoncrats.
So are you saying only soldiers breed real men? Isn't that what Hitler said?
LOL! Eddie, you appear to be living proof that your theory is at least ass-backward, if not completely bogus.
It iss because zee French men are such great lovers and do so much of zee sexy-sexy. No?
Why is this being presented as if that's bad news? Whatever it takes to reduce the surplus population is what I say.
If I wasn't 66 years old I would have happily helped them with their population problem. After all I am part French on my mother's side and I would love to repay the French for what they did for us during the revolutionary war! ;-)
Balls need to breathe, men! Tight jeans and underwear has already been determined to lead to this, among other factors.
You mean.. there will be no more French in the future?
Sacré bleu!
I don't think the world will shed many tears on account of fewer French people to go around.
Typical to French form, the little guys swim up stream and half-way there they just quit and le sigh.
According to the French Observatory of Drugs and Addiction, France a nation of approximately 64 million now includes 4 million cannabis smokers, 1.2 million of whom identify themselves as "regular" inhalers (10 times or more per month), while a further 550,000 are daily users. And a whopping 12.4 million are believed to have occasionally experimented with the drug. French cannabis consumption cuts across virtually all socio-economic categories and locales, according to the study, and ranks France at the top of Europe's countries. (Source Time Magazine)
Men who smoke marijuana frequently damage their fertility. Scientists at Buffalo University found regular smokers had significantly less seminal fluid, and a lower sperm count. Marijuana contains THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC from marijuana may push a man over the edge into infertility.' THC unfortunately is stored in body fat. It is unclear whether fertility would recover after men stopped smoking marijuana.
It's no wonder I keep getting laid by French babes who complain their French boyfriends are cowards and socialists