NaturalNews) Nearly 20 years ago, Danish scientists first broke the news to the world that men from Western countries seem to be slowly becoming infertile. Recent research seems to back this up as well, with average sperm counts having dropped to half of what they were 50 years ago.

According to reports, nearly 20 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 25 have sperm counts that are abnormally low. To put this in perspective, consider the fact that in the 1940s, men had an average of about 100 million sperm cells per millimeter of semen (m/ml). Today, the average is around 60m/ml. Those among the 20 percent with abnormal levels have less than 20m/ml.

So what is the cause behind decreasing sperm counts? Realistically, there is probably more than just one cause. Environmental toxins, synthetic food and water additives, and estrogenic substances in food are all likely culprits.

"It's most likely a reflection of the fact that many environmental and lifestyle changes over the past 50 years are inherently detrimental to sperm production," explained Professor Richard Sharpe, a fertility research expert at the Medical Research Council, in a U.K. report.

But what scientists believe may be the biggest cause of poor semen quality in men has more to do with what their mothers were exposed to during pregnancy, than what the men themselves are exposed to throughout their lifetimes.

A case in point is the disastrous chemical accident that occurred in 1976 in Seveso, Italy. The incident caused the highest known human exposure to toxic chemical dioxins. It was later revealed that pregnant women who were exposed to the chemical during that time bore male children who ended up having poor sperm counts.

Other studies also seem to lend credence to the idea that lifelong sperm counts are determined during the early stages of male fetal development. Interference with the Sertoli cells, which are responsible for proper sperm development during fetal development, can lead to lifelong sperm production problems in males.

"Maternal-lifestyle factors in pregnancy can have quite substantial effects on sperm counts in sons in adulthood, and the most logical mechanism by which this could occur is via reducing the number of Sertoli cells," explained Professor Sharpe.

In other words, prenatal exposure to toxic chemicals is a serious threat to male health, which ultimately threatens the existence of mankind.

http://www.naturalnews.com/029185_male_infertility_spem_count.html

it wouldnt surprise me if the world became so rampant with casual sex that our ability to reproduce completely dried up so that we WOULD die out,,,and stop spreading disease and uncared for lives

I doubt we would "die out". There are too many people on this planet, granted, but the most are China and India and there is no slow-down there as far as I know.

I like natural news too. I just don't know how reliable they are. Do you, OP?

How could one "dry up" from casual sex? From my studies of biology, this is impossible, as the various glands keep the bodily fluids regular.

I have no idea. It's hard to believe any websites lately. That includes cnn.com, foxnews, msnbc...they are no different.

dry up is a figure of speech

visually, I am thinking of the ovulation process, the ability of the female to release eggs

like HIV targets certain cells , there could conceivably be a condition which attacks the glands and hormones,,,,

I think all news is fake with a little truth sprinkled in. Everything has become so liberalized now, "Oh no we can't use that quote!It might offend (insert person). Instead, say it like this."

I was an editor for years and I saw it asked for by higher ups time and time again. I lost my job at several papers for refusing to bow to it. The news that drips over the wire, you'd be appalled at how much you don't get and how many words are left out of your news. Not that the AP is telling the truth.

Really, I know men that seem to look at their wife and get em pregnant.....But then again most of the people I know hunt and are mainly naturalists....grow and jar own veggies things like that.....

But then again we are own worst enemy...natures selection for extinction....

Bet you are a flowerchild Sea........lol

Add to the list two more factors ... (1) drinking BOTTLED WATER - the bottles are usually PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) and during transportation get overheated and offgas directly into the water. One of the offgassing byproducts of decomposition is estradiol, a constituent of birth control pills ... the typical amount in ONE bottle of bottled water is equivalent to the dosage of ONE birth control pill. (2) Jockey shorts ... these - and other brands that fit tightly like Jockeys - overheat the nuts and kill off the sperm ... kinda like a 'slow death from fashion' ... There are other factors, but these two are in the 'fly below radar' category ... and they're real.

My only hope is that the number of males drop significantly so there will be a bunch of horny women hunting down guys for sex at all costs.

Guys getting jumped on a street , at the bus..being raped...

Wow..crazy fantasies of mine got over me.

So I guess you've read the novel 'The Spike' ... ?

well, it would be good news for the feminists... they don't really even need men nowadays, they can reproduce without us now.

really? reproduction sans sperm? has that actually worked? and more importantly ,,,WHY?...lol

It worked in Jesus' case, din't it ... ?

nah.............just personal experience leads me to that deuction

i was referring more about the trillions of sperm they have frozen in the labs...

Who me????? never.......LOL

Sounds like that could just as easily turn nightmare as fantasy...becareful what you wish for you just might get it.....