Sperm counts among western men have halved in last 40 years – study

Reasons for the 'shocking' drop are unclear, say researchers, and represent a huge and neglected area of public health

Sperm counts among men have more than halved in the last 40 years, research suggests, although the drivers behind the decline remain unclear.

The latest findings reveal that between 1973 and 2011, the concentration of sperm in the ejaculate of men in western countries has fallen by an average of 1.4% a year, leading to an overall drop of just over 52%.