And it\u2019s only getting worse. Before the year 2000, studies showed the average sperm count falling by roughly one per cent each year \u2013 since then, the rate of decline has doubled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In fact, according to the UK\u2019s most recent Fertility Index Survey, young men today are nearly three times more likely to have fertility issues than older generations.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s being reflected in our birth rates. Britain has now fallen below its fertility replacement rate \u2013 meaning not enough babies are being born to maintain the population.<\/p>\n
Worryingly, by as soon as 2045 by one estimate, the average male sperm count will be approaching zero.<\/p>\n
The consequence, says Professor Shanna Swan, one of the leading experts tracking the trend, could be that the majority of British couples are soon forced to rely on assisted reproduction.<\/p>\n
![\"Research](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/96952207-14574889-image-m-41_1743864337830.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Research claims that over-the-counter painkiller paracetamol could be wreaking havoc on men\u2019s reproductive systems<\/p>\n
Now some say they have identified the factors fuelling the alarming decline. And one of them could be a pill that millions of us take every day.<\/p>\n
Research claims that over-the-counter painkiller paracetamol could be wreaking havoc on men\u2019s reproductive systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chemicals in everyday items such as till receipts, milk cartons and moisturisers could also be having a damaging effect.<\/p>\n
Known as endocrine disruptors, they can mimic and replace hormones \u2013 throwing our reproductive systems into disarray.<\/p>\n
These are controversial views that some say lack sufficient scientific evidence. But perhaps more surprisingly, some of the experts pointing the finger at these man-made toxins now believe their impact can also be reversed.<\/p>\n
Professor Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist, was one of the first to raise the alarm around plummeting sperm counts. Now she\u2019s convinced it can also be treated within your own home.<\/p>\n
In fact, she\u2019s in the process of running a first-of-its-kind study on the topic \u2013 looking at couples struggling to get pregnant and guiding them through the process of changing their lifestyle.<\/p>\n
From swapping scented lotions to unscented alternatives, cutting out processed foods and removing plastics from their kitchens, these are easy changes to make.<\/p>\n
![\"Professor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/96952815-14574889-image-a-59_1743866546030.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Professor Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist, was one of the first to raise the alarm around plummeting sperm counts<\/p>\n
And while the results of the trial are still under wraps, Professor Swan says it makes one thing clear: there are tangible ways to avoid sperm-killing chemicals.<\/p>\n
\u2018It takes paying attention and the will to do it, but we can lower our exposure,\u2019 she tells The Mail on Sunday. \u2018There are things we can do in our homes that can increase our chances of having a baby. And many, many people are willing to make these changes.\u2019<\/p>\n
Unlike women, who are born with all the eggs they will ever have, men begin to produce sperm between the ages of ten and 12 and continue to do so for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n
The average man will make millions of sperm cells every day, that then take about three months to fully mature.<\/p>\n
Once fully formed, sperm is mixed with seminal fluid \u2013 a whitish liquid produced by the prostate gland \u2013 to form semen. But despite being able to survive outside the body, sperm cells are surprisingly fragile.<\/p>\n
Seemingly small changes in body chemistry can have a profound impact on their ability to move, grow and fertilise an egg. And any shift in the amount of sperm in a given quantity of semen \u2013 the sperm count \u2013 can impact a man\u2019s ability to conceive a child.<\/p>\n
Scientists track changes in sperm counts by collecting samples from thousands of men and calculating an average.<\/p>\n
According to researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who analysed data from more than 42,000 men from across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, sperm counts fell by an average of 1.2 per cent per year from 1973 to 2018 \u2013 dropping from 104 million sperm per millilitre (million\/ml) of semen to just 49 million\/ml. At 40 million\/ml, explains lead researcher Professor Hagai Levine, you start to see real fertility problems.<\/p>\n
![\"Professor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/96952183-14574889-image-a-42_1743864478492.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Professor Swan says: \u2018There are things we can do in our homes that can increase our chances of having a baby. And many, many people are willing to make these changes\u2019<\/p>\n
And to make matters worse, the drop in sperm count is now increasing each year, with an annual 2.6 per cent reduction since 2000.<\/p>\n
Many point out that toxins in our environment have increased at the same time that male fertility rates have declined.<\/p>\n
\u2018We know it\u2019s not genetics because genetic changes take a long time to have an effect, and what we\u2019re seeing has occurred over mere decades,\u2019 says consultant urologist Dr Jonathan Ramsay. \u2018So it must be something in the environment.\u2019<\/p>\n
Increasing obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles in the latter half of the 20th century have long been cited as a cause of declining birth rates. Obesity levels in Britain doubled from 1993 to 2022 \u2013 64 per cent of the population are now either overweight or obese.<\/p>\n
Excess fat affects fertility by causing hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities and reduced sperm quality \u2013 making it much harder to conceive and increasing pregnancy risks.<\/p>\n
But a growing number of experts claim other factors are at play \u2013 including exposure to the most commonly taken medicines.<\/p>\n
One of the pills linked to declining sperm counts is paracetamol. While it\u2019s still unknown exactly how it changes sperm quality, some believe it does so by reducing production of nitric oxide \u2013 the substance responsible for regulating sperm movement \u2013 as well as the ability to process testosterone.<\/p>\n
Researchers from Brunel University in London examined levels of paracetamol in the urine of nearly 1,000 adult men in Denmark and found every one had levels higher than was considered safe. They concluded that, in combination with other endocrine-disrupting chemicals, high doses of paracetamol can build up in the body, creating a near-constant toxic exposure that depletes male sperm count.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s pregnant women who should be the most cautious with the drug, say other experts.<\/p>\n
Lab experiments have shown that paracetamol given to mice grafted with foetal testicle tissue can reduce the production of testosterone in male foetuses, making it harder for them to produce sperm in adulthood.<\/p>\n
Unlike exposure in adulthood \u2013 which can usually be reversed by removing the chemical and allowing three months for new sperm to develop \u2013 exposure in the womb tends to be permanent.<\/p>\n
In light of this, Dr Rod Mitchell, professor of development endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh, feels women in their first trimester should only take the lowest dose of the drug if it\u2019s medically necessary, and for the shortest possible time.<\/p>\n
He says: \u2018The first trimester is a critical period in foetal development where you need enough testosterone to be circulating in the foetus to program its future reproductive health.<\/p>\n
\u2018Significant reduction in the hormone during this period could give that baby problems with fertility \u2013 as well as an increased risk of testicular cancer \u2013 in adulthood.\u2019<\/p>\n
But, as a clinician, Professor Mitchell is also wary of scaring women off the drug. \u2018Fever and pain are also not necessarily good for mother and baby,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n
Ibuprofen has also been linked to a reduced sperm count. As with paracetamol, some researchers believe the drug can impact sperm production by lowering testosterone levels.<\/p>\n
Endocrinologist Professor Annice Mukherjee said: \u2018The effect of endocrine disruptors is an issue all good endocrinologists are genuinely concerned about. Not everyone\u2019s fertility will be affected equally \u2013 genetics and other lifestyle factors will play a role.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/96952347-14574889-image-a-43_1743864725279.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The average man will make millions of sperm cells every day, that then take about three months to fully mature<\/p>\n
\u2018Cause and effect is very hard to prove, as there is so much at play. But all the research we have suggests these chemicals, are a risk to fertility. I\u2019m worried for my own children.\u2019<\/p>\n
But not all experts are as convinced, however.<\/p>\n
Male health expert Professor Allan Pacey, based at the University of Manchester, is sceptical of the claim that environmental factors are behind the falling birthrate. Instead, he believes it is due to people having children later in life.<\/p>\n
\u2018The single thing you can do if you want to be fertile is have a baby when you\u2019re young,\u2019 he says. \u2018A century ago, the average father was in his late teens, early 20s. Now he\u2019s in his late 30s. Older men not only produce fewer sperm but the sperm they do produce is less healthy.\u2019<\/p>\n
But Professor Swan says people simply choosing to have children later cannot explain why animals are seeing a decline in fertility. She says: \u2018They\u2019re not subjected to pressure to join the workforce or use contraception or delay their childbearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But they are subject to the same chemicals in the environment we are \u2013 and this is one of the reasons why I am convinced environmental chemicals are playing a major role in declines in reproductive function.\u2019<\/p>\n
Prof Swan also argues that, if her theories hold, the damage could be reversible. And that\u2019s what she is setting out to prove in her study, tracking couples who are struggling to conceive.<\/p>\n
The results will be published in the next few months. However Professor Swan says changes like the ones the couples made \u2013 swapping their personal care products and home items for plastic- and chemical-free versions \u2013 do work.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019ve worked on studies that have taken five to ten years to complete, and cost five to $10 million to do, and I published them and spoke about them at conferences, and it didn\u2019t change anything,\u2019 she says. \u2018So now I\u2019m doing quicker studies that will get<\/p>\n
people\u2019s attention. And this is the first. We want to show people that there are things they can do in their life to increase their chances of having a baby.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019d give anything to be a dad\u2019\u00a0 ![\"Postal](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/96952065-14574889-Postal_workers_Ryan_and_Megan_Lamour_are_about_to_begin_their_th-a-1_1744016163675.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Postal workers Ryan and Megan Lamour are about to begin their third round of treatment, which they hope will be successful<\/p>\n
Megan and Ryan Lamour, 27 and 28, knew they were each other\u2019s \u2018one\u2019 from the moment they first met, aged just 16.<\/p>\n
After moving in together in 2020, the postal workers, pictured, from Northern Ireland, decided to take the next step and try for a baby.<\/p>\n
But after two years with no luck, they realised something was up. It was during the pandemic, so they ordered an at-home fertility test for Ryan \u2013 which came back inconclusive.<\/p>\n
Confused, the couple booked an appointment with their GP, who sent them for further testing.<\/p>\n
But while Megan\u2019s came back normal, Ryan received some devastating news \u2013 his sperm count was so low that their chance of conceiving naturally was just 0.5 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u2018It was tough,\u2019 Ryan says. \u2018I feel more guilt than anything else, because the issue\u2019s on my side.<\/p>\n
\u2018All I want to do is be able to give Megan the gift of being a mother \u2013 and I can\u2019t do it as easily as other people can. It\u2019s taken a while to come to terms with that.\u2019<\/p>\n
The couple say they have no explanation as to why Ryan\u2019s sperm count is so low \u2013 he\u2019s not a heavy drinker or smoker, and eats healthily.<\/p>\n
But after cutting out alcohol, Ryan\u2019s sperm count has improved enough to start IVF. The couple are about to begin their third round of treatment, which they hope will be successful.<\/p>\n
\u2018I can\u2019t put into words how much it would mean to have this baby,\u2019 Ryan says. \u2018I\u2019d give anything to be a dad.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Soaring infertility, forcing couples to rely on arduous, expensive medical procedures in order to have children. Birth rates…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4310,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[186,92,105,704,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-4309","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114296381989436735","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}