Texsox Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 LONDON (AFP) - Male sperm counts have fallen by almost a third since 1989, with factors such as drinking and obesity possibly to blame, according to a British study. A survey of 7,500 men who attended the Aberdeen Fertility Centre in northern Scotland between 1989 and 2002 brought alarming findings, researchers said Monday. Analysis of sperm samples showed that in men with what is considered a "normal" concentration of sperm -- defined as over 20 million sperm per millilitre of semen -- the average sperm count fell by 29 percent. This "must cause some concern and needs to be explained", said Dr Siladitya Bhattacharya, who led the research project. "There could be a number of lifestyle factors which could play a role in this," he said. "It just highlights the need for research to discover what these reasons might be, as well as the need for further studies elsewhere in the country to see if they support our results." Drug use, alcohol, smoking and obesity have all been linked to a decline in sperm counts, as well as pesticides and other chemicals in the environment. In 1986, Scotland was affected by the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but Bhattacharya said it was "almost impossible" to say for certain whether this or any other individual factor was to blame. It could also not be concluded that there had been a fall in male fertility, as factors other than just sperm count played a part, he added. "There has been an increase in men seeking treatment for male infertility, but whether this is due to a significant increase in this condition or because men are more aware of new techniques which have been developed to help them, we cannot say." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 This was a trend accurately and perfectly presaged by ecologists more than 20 years ago. Health care professionals are going to look to smoking and obeisity, etc., as primary causes, but a population ecologist will tell you they are secondary factors at best. It more likely comes down to the realities of life tied to energy budgets and increasing stress in our daily lives. Compromized reproductive reproductive output is a regular occurrence in stressed populations. Imagine a nested set of 3 bell curves depicting threshold limits for survival, growth, and reproduction. Under the most stressful conditions, members of populations perish; under somewhat less stressful (sublethal) conditions, indivisuals survive but they do not grow. Under still more benign stress conditions, survival and growth occur but reproductive output suffers. basically, reproduction is a 'luxury item' in the biology of an organism and substantial energy will only be allocated toward reproduction when life's other energetic demans have been met. If you break an organism's energy budget into its component parts, you'll see that gross energy intake is spent on production (growth), cellular metabolism, and reproduction, while unassimilable matter is lost as egesta (feces) and unuseable metabolic end procucts like ammonia and carbon dioxide are lost as excreta (urine, exhaled carbon dioxide). Excreta and egesta are fixed terms, so dietary energy must be shuffled to meet the needs of cellular metabolism, growth, and then reproduction -- usually in that order although there are species life histories that at times sacrifice growth in favor of gonad/gamete production. Strong support for the stress/poor reproduction connection in humans comes from evidence citing that professionals in highly stressful jobs are most prone to showing decreased gemete production, other conditions being equal. OK, done. The teaching semester starts this week and I had to dust off the cobwebs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 addendum: Smoking, obeisity, etc., are not off the hook since they are potential sources of stress on an individual. Fat, out of breath people spend a larger percentage of their energy intake on metabolic maintenance and therefore have less surplus to spend on reproduction. Any prolonged stress on an individual (being a Sox Fan?) will take make that individual to sublethal disease (colds, etc.), and can eventually also take a toll on reproduction as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 GAAAAAH! I had 30 minutes of no learning before my first post-break class. You ruined my streak. GAAAAAAAAH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wong & Owens Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 OK, I just counted all my sperm. Same number as I had 5 years ago. This fraudulent report has now been exposed. You may thank me later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 OK, I just counted all my sperm. Same number as I had 5 years ago. This fraudulent report has now been exposed. You may thank me later. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Be Good Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 MY sperm count is better then its ever been!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 MY sperm count is better then its ever been!!! There is more of it in his hand than ever before, as proof positive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathew Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 MY sperm count is better then its ever been!!! *shudder* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 *shudder* Reminds me of the story about the girl who walkedin on her fiancee' while he was 'handling hiomeself in an impure manner'. She freaks out and yells "stop it, stop it, remember I told you to save it until we're married!" He looks up and says "I am... an so far I've saved a quart-and-a-half." You can boo me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Be Good Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 There is more of it in his hand than ever before, as proof positive NA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sox4lifeinPA Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 I guess this means, women are gonna have to put up with 1/3 more sex to make up for the shortages... we've got quotas to meet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted January 6, 2004 Author Share Posted January 6, 2004 I guess this means, women are gonna have to put up with 1/3 more sex to make up for the shortages... we've got quotas to meet Mr Silver Lining! BTW, what is 1/3 more of zero? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sox4lifeinPA Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 Mr Silver Lining! BTW, what is 1/3 more of zero? in my case, I've just had to wash my socks an extra 1/3 in due time my friend....some chocolate vaginas are worth waiting for too much? haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastime Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 We have Ellen Degeneres, Oprah Winfrey, and Sharon Osbourne hogging the TV air time, and they are constantly in the mainstream media. And people wonder why the men can't get the love guns firing? It's very obvious. Those three trolls could make even the most horny, excited, Viagra-inspired man shrivel in his shorts. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted January 6, 2004 Author Share Posted January 6, 2004 With 1/3 the sperm, where do you go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastime Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 After looking at those three dogs, my 1/3 will end up in a paper towel or in the sheets. ARRGH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sox4lifeinPA Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 I wouldn't mind stickin' it to anne heche.... craziness aside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted January 6, 2004 Author Share Posted January 6, 2004 I wouldn't mind stickin' it to anne heche.... craziness aside. At least you wouldn't have to worry about a pissed off boy friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastime Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 I agree. There's something about popping some psycho chick that appeals to all of us. She's the kind that you could bang, and then tell her that it wasn't you, it was some guy named Matt who drove off - and she would believe you. Nut-cases could be fun - if you can get away quickly afterwards. Otherwise, you are dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 At least you wouldn't have to worry about a pissed off boy friend. Just a pissed off husband... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxin' Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 It's internet porn that is dragging the sperm count down, not that I would know anything about that....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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