Sperm counts worldwide have halved over the past five decades, and the pace of the decline has more than doubled since the turn of the century, new research shows.
The international team behind it says the data is alarming and points to a fertility crisis threatening the survival of humanity.
Their meta-analysis looked at 223 studies based on sperm samples from over 57,000 men across 53 countries.
It shows for the first time that men in Latin America, Asia, and Africa share a similar decline in total sperm counts and concentration as previously observed in Europe, North America, and Australia.
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The authors warn that the mean sperm count has now dropped dangerously close to the threshold that makes conception more difficult, meaning couples around the world may encounter problems having a baby without medical assistance.
Read more: Euronews