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Eat right, exercise, get adequate sleep, manage your stress, avoid smoking and limit alcohol — these are some of the recommendations men receive to maintain a healthy <keyword id="20687206" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sperm-count" source="keywords">sperm count</keyword>. But what if, even after following all this advice, the sperm count gets affected due to the nature of the world we live in?<br /><br />A new study has discovered <keyword id="19970180" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="microplastics" source="keywords">microplastics</keyword> in <keyword id="21759251" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="human-testicles" source="Orion">human testicles</keyword>, raising concerns about their potential link to <keyword id="21759246" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="declining-sperm-counts" source="keywords">declining sperm counts</keyword> in men.<br /><br />Researchers tested 23 human testes and 47 testes from pet dogs. After dissolving the tissue samples and analysing the plastic remnants, they found <keyword id="21759247" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microplastic-pollution" source="keywords">microplastic pollution</keyword> in every single sample!<br /><br />The human <keyword id="21742117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="testicles" source="keywords">testicles</keyword> exhibited a plastic concentration nearly three times higher than that found in dog testes: 330 micrograms per gram of tissue compared to 123 micrograms. Polyethylene, commonly used in plastic bags and bottles, was the most prevalent microplastic found, followed by PVC.<br /><br />PVC is known to release chemicals that interfere with spermatogenesis and contains substances that disrupt the endocrine system, which produces and regulates hormones crucial for numerous bodily functions, including growth, metabolism and reproduction.<br /><br />Furthermore, the human testes analysed were obtained from postmortems conducted in 2016, with the men aged between 16 and 88 at the time of their deaths. Given the increased <keyword id="19970182" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-pollution" source="keywords">plastic pollution</keyword> since then, researchers are particularly concerned about its impact on younger generations.<br /><br />While the preserved human testicles couldn’t have their sperm counts measured, the dog testes—obtained from veterinary neutering operations—were assessable. Findings showed lower sperm counts in samples with higher PVC contamination. While this shows a correlation, further research is needed to definitively prove that microplastics cause declining sperm counts.<br /><br />In addition to testicles, microplastics have also recently been found in human blood, placentas and breast milk, indicating widespread contamination of human bodies. Laboratory studies have shown that microplastics can damage human cells. Moreover, these particles might lodge in tissues and cause inflammation, while the chemicals in plastics could be harmful as well. In March, doctors warned of life-threatening effects, noting a significantly increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and early death in people with contaminated blood vessels.<br /><br />Microplastics have already polluted the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. Therefore, their presence in the innermost parts of the human body, while alarming, is not entirely surprising. The challenge now is to contain this damage and prevent it from worsening, which is easier said than done given the pervasive role of plastic in the modern way of life.<br /><br />The study was published in the journal <em>Toxicological Sciences</em> and can be accessed <a href="https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/toxsci/kfae060/7673133">here</a>.<br />

Plastic testes: Scientists analyse human testicles, find microplastics in every single one of them!

A “spermpocalypse”, defined by falling sperm counts in men across the globe, is upon us. And it is one of the key driving factors behind the <keyword id="22186484" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fertility-crisis" source="keywords">fertility crisis</keyword> — something that even Tesla CEO Elon Musk has spoken about at length. While exposure to pesticides, heavy metals and plastics have all been blamed, another possible culprit is <keyword id="20260846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="obesity" source="keywords">obesity</keyword>.<br /><br />Now, a massive study from China adds to the growing body of evidence that links obesity to drop in <keyword id="20687206" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sperm-count" source="keywords">sperm count</keyword>s. The study, led by Dr. Yingxin Li of Sun Yat-sen University, analyses data from over 71,000 men across 50 previous studies. It found a significant association between excess weight and decreased semen quality, a broad measure of <keyword id="20290995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="male-fertility" source="keywords">male fertility</keyword> that includes sperm count, volume, and motility (movement).<br />    <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110327795" title="Plastic testes: Scientists analyse human testicles, find microplastics in every single one of them!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Men classified as obese had noticeably lower <keyword id="22467926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="semen-volume" source="keywords">semen volume</keyword>, total sperm count, and <keyword id="22467927" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sperm-motility" source="keywords">sperm motility</keyword> compared to those with a healthy weight. Even men who were simply overweight, but not obese, showed a decline in semen volume and motility.<br /><br />While this study doesn't definitively prove that obesity causes lower <keyword id="20943900" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sperm-quality" source="keywords">sperm quality</keyword>, it strongly suggests a connection. Researchers believe numerous factors may be at play, including hormonal imbalances, toxins stored in fatty tissue, and even elevated body temperature.<br /><br />Unfortunately, pinpointing the exact mechanisms is challenging due to the multitude of factors that can influence sperm health, including environmental pollutants, smoking, age, diet, and more. Isolating each element for study requires long-term research with stricter controls. Some limitations of the current data include reliance on self-reported BMI and single semen sample analysis.<br />    <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="108710829" title="Nearly all countries will struggle to maintain population levels by 2100, thanks to crashing birth rates: IHME" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, the research reinforces the interconnectedness of overall health and specific aspects like fertility. Studies have previously shown that <keyword id="19923802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weight-loss" source="keywords">weight loss</keyword> through lifestyle changes can improve sperm quality, further supporting this connection.<br /><br />The authors conclude that this research highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy weight to potentially prevent declines in semen quality and improve male fertility. This research serves as a crucial piece of the puzzle for understanding the global decline in sperm counts and offers a potential avenue for future interventions.<br />

Drop in sperm count can be strongly linked to obesity in men, finds Chinese study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Epidemiologist Shanna Swan studied <keyword id="30850" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="chemical">chemical</keyword> exposure's impact on <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> for two decades.</li><li>Her book "Count Down" uses research to explain how <keyword id="555972" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastics">plastics</keyword> and other substances mess with fertility.</li><li>If we don't do something about chemical exposure, it could endanger human life, Swan writes.</li></ul><p>Shanna Swan is obsessed with studying the length between babies' genitals and their anuses.</p><p>That's because Swan is an epidemiologist who's spent two decades researching how our lifestyles and the environments in which we live mess with our hormones and reproductive abilities.</p><p>The distance between a person's genitals and their butthole, also called anogenital distance or AGD, is one of the best indicators of reproductive potential and chemical exposure in the womb, Swan explains in her new book <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Count-Down/Shanna-H-Swan/9781982113667#">"Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race."</a></p><p>As <a href="https://www.insider.com/us-birth-rates-lowest-since-baby-boom-era-pandemic-2021-3">birth rates continue to plummet</a> around the world, a trend that could eventually result in human species endangerment, Swan's book offers insights into why men in Western countries now have half the baby-making potential as their grandparents.</p><p>She also explains what we can do now to avoid altering fetus' reproductive potential in the womb, and to protect our health in a world filled with plastics and chemicals.</p><h2>Solving a worldwide infertility mystery</h2><p>Swan got her start researching how chemicals, contaminated water, and drugs impacted human health.</p><p>So, when she saw a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/29716905?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">1992 study</a> that found sperm counts around the world were decreasing at an alarming rate, she pivoted to research whether the paper's author Elisabeth Carlsen was onto something, or if it was bogus.</p><p>Swan set out on a six-month research stint with two colleagues, reviewing all of the studies Carlsen used in her analysis, looking for confounding factors and biases that could've skewed the alarming data.</p><p>Instead, she found that Carlsen's claims held.</p><p>"Not only have I shifted from being dubious to being utterly convinced that a dramatic decline in sperm counts is occurring, I've also discovered that various lifestyle factors and environmental exposures may be acting in tandem or in a cumulative fashion to fuel the decline," Swan wrote in "Count Down."</p><h2>'Babies are now entering the world already contaminated with chemicals'</h2><p>Swan found a lifestyle factors like smoking, using antidepressant medication, lack of exercise, and heightened stress could lower both men and women's reproductive abilities.</p><p>Even more alarming, Swan found invisible chemicals in plastic water bottles, the dust on shelves, and adhesives most humans come into contact with every day could also mess with reproductive health in grownups, children, and unborn babies.</p><p>Phthalates, a type of chemical found in plastic manufacturing parts, are one of the biggest culprits, according to Swan.</p><p>That's because they <a href="https://www.insider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1">disrupt how the hormone endocrine is produced</a> in the body. In turn, that disruption can contribute to obesity, lower IQs, premature birth. As Swan found, it can also decrease testosterone production, lower sperm counts, decrease fertility, and contribute to smaller penis size.</p><p>These endocrine disruptors can affect babies as they grow in the womb, if the person carrying them has been exposed to chemicals, according to Swan and <a href="https://www.insider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1">other researchers' work.</a> They can also be passed onto babies in breast milk, said Swan.</p><p>"Babies are now entering the world already contaminated with chemicals because of the substances they absorb in the womb," she wrote.</p>

Plummeting sperm counts are threatening the future of human existence, and plastics could be to blame

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="6359009" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sperm">sperm</keyword> bank in China is holding a contest to find the best sperm, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/epnqga/china-sperm-bank-donation-contest">reported Vice.</a></li><li>The Human Sperm Bank of Shanghai is asking college students across China to submit their sperm.</li><li>The submissions will be judged on motility and sperm count. Winners will be recruited as donors.</li></ul><p>A sperm bank in China is asking college students to submit their sperm to recruit new donors and see who has the best quality ejaculate. </p><p><a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/epnqga/china-sperm-bank-donation-contest">Vice reported</a> the Human Sperm Bank of Shanghai is holding a contest for the best sperm to raise awareness about sexual <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> and refill their supply of donor ejaculate. </p><p>The submissions will be judged on <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-increase-sperm-count">sperm count</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/can-men-take-prenatal-vitamins">motility</a> - both of which are important for fertility and conception. The contest winners will be recruited as donors and given up to $1,160 as a prize. </p><p>The contest was launched July 12 and has been promoted across the Chinese social media site WeChat, Vice reported. </p><p>In recent years, Chinese sperm banks have suffered <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8556669/Chinese-sperm-bank-urges-male-citizens-actively-make-donations-facing-stock-shortage.html">low donor turnout</a> and faced shortages in their supply.</p><p>Rigorous requirements have also barred many applicants from being eligible to donate sperm. <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/982324.shtml">According to the Global Times,</a> only 20% of people in China who donated sperm were approved to be donors in 2016.</p><p>As a result, sperm banks have had to come up with creative solutions to their shortage of spunk. The Human Sperm Bank of Shanghai is far from the only Chinese sperm bank willing to offer cash in exchange for quality donations.</p><p><a href="https://supchina.com/2021/03/30/zhejiang-sperm-bank-urges-males-to-donate-citing-volunteer-shortage-and-quality-decline/">Zhejiang sperm bank</a> began offering suitable donors up to $760 per donation in March 2021. Another <a href="https://buzz-caribbean.com/life/chinese-sperm-bank-faces-shortage-men-urged-to-donate/">sperm bank in Yunnan</a> was willing to offer donors $700 per donation in July 2020.  </p><p>Experts are unsure how the problem will look moving forward, especially as birth rates decline and government officials fear a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/china-census-births-fall.html">looming generational time bomb</a>. </p>

A sperm bank is holding a competition for students to find the best ejaculate in the country

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Alessia Pierdomenico / Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Doctor is silhouetted as he walks past a poster in a Rome fertility clinic.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The swimmers are going missing - and no one knows why.</p><p>According to an <a href="https://academic.oup.com/DocumentLibrary/humupd/PR/dmx022_final.pdf">analysis</a> of 185 academic studies, sperm counts around the world have been declining steadily over the last four decades, such that today's counts are roughly half of what they were 40 years ago, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40719743">the BBC reports</a>.</p><p>Between 1973 and 2011, sperm counts declined 59.3% "with no evidence of a 'leveling off' in recent years," investigators from multiple international universities wrote in their report.</p><p>These declines imply that a growing proportion of men have sperm counts below the thresholds for reduced fertility or full-fledged infertility, the researchers noted. This could mean a few things in a broader sense.</p><p>Demographic experts have observed for close to two decades that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4255510/">developed countries are increasingly seeing</a> falling fertility rates. (In Japan, the population is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-fertility-crisis-2017-4">actually decreasing</a>.) Gender equality has encouraged more women to enter the workforce, despite a laggard set of policies at many employers that don't accommodate both work and family life.</p><p>The latest findings add to that story of falling fertility by including biological reasons that couples aren't having nearly as many children as they used to.</p><p><span>Dr. Hagai Levine, the lead researcher on the study, said the findings left him feeling "very worried." He pointed to environmental factors such as the exposure to pesticides and chemicals, lifestyle habits like smoking and poor diet, and psychological factors like stress as potential causes for the steep decline in sperm count.</span></p><p><span>"Eventually we may have a problem, and with reproduction in general," he told the BBC. "And it may be the extinction of the human species."</span></p><p><span>Population forecasts for at least the next century haven't made such dire predictions. The United Nations, for example, still projects the population will grow <a href="http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html">to more than 9 billion</a> over the next several decades due to high fertility rates found in other countries, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa.</span></p><p><span>Without a clear set of risk factors for declining sperm count, Levine advised men to maintain a healthy lifestyle devoid of smoking, junk food, or sedentary behavior. He also called on government agencies to better regulate the manufacture of man-made chemicals.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/darwins-theory-sexual-selection-misunderstood-richard-prum-2017-6">Evolutionary biologists have been misinterpreting a key point in Darwin's theory for years</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5yb3duYjE6iVVaqWsWo1rVTyrg7c3p91" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

185 studies reveal men's sperm count has plunged worldwide over the last 40 years

Robots and AI are being used to help women get pregnant. Is this the future of IVF?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study of men around the world suggests that average penis length has increased.</li><li>Previous evidence has found factors like poor lifestyle and pollution may be harming men's health. </li></ul><p>Erection stats are on the rise, new research suggests. </p><p>The average length of an erect penis has increased by almost 25%, or just over an inch, according to scientists who analyzed nearly 30 years worth of men's health studies from all over the world.</p><p>The researchers, from Stanford University and several universities in Italy, looked at data from 55,761 adult men for their study, the results of which were published February 14 in <a href="https://wjmh.org/search.php?where=aview&amp;id=10.5534/wjmh.220203&amp;code=2074WJMH&amp;vmode=FULL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The World Journal of Men's Health,</a></p><p>They found that overall the average erection length has increased from 4.8 inches to 6 inches in the last three decades. </p><p>The finding was a surprise to researchers, who expected to find a decline in penis length, coinciding with other recent trends in men's reproductive health such as lower sperm counts and testosterone levels, according to senior study author Dr. Michael Eisenberg, professor of urology at Stanford medicine. It also refutes <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-avoid-chemicals-lowering-sperm-counts-shrinking-penises-2021-3">previous research that suggests penis sizes are getting smaller</a>.</p><p>In a press release, Eisenberg said that it isn't clear what may be causing the trend, but it's concerning to see a significant change in such a short period of time. </p><h2>What could be leading to changes in penis size?</h2><p>"If we're seeing this fast of a change, it means that something powerful is happening to our bodies," Eisenberg said in the press release. "Just as we measure height and weight every year across the U.S., this is something else we could measure in a systematic fashion, because it may turn out to be an early indicator of changes in human development."</p><p>Potential factors could include chemical exposure to substances like pesticides and other environmental contaminants, the researchers wrote in the study. Some evidence suggests these chemicals are already affecting our bodies, <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-avoid-chemicals-lowering-sperm-counts-shrinking-penises-2021-3">disrupting hormones</a> and potentially leading to earlier puberty and worse reproductive health. </p><p>But previous research by epidemiologist Shanna Swan found these environmental factors to have the opposite effect, making penises smaller and lowering sperm counts. Swan concluded this from her own <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/6/646/4035689">meta-analysis of male reproductive health studies</a>, published in 2017.</p><p>Since then, researchers at Harvard have said <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/health/sperm-fertility-reproduction-crisis.html">Swan's findings are based on flawed assumptions</a> and lacking data points, like the mens' ages, making it inconclusive.</p><h2>Men should pay attention to their penises, but there isn't an immediate cause for concern, experts say</h2><p>These new study results are good reason for men to start being more aware of their own sexual health, urologist and men's health specialist Dr. Justin Dubin told Insider. </p><p>"Sexual health is a good reflection of overall health. There could be many reasons why penis size is changing," he said. </p><p>"It's a thoughtful study, but one study doesn't necessarily mean penises are getting bigger or smaller," he said. "Hopefully it will have guys thinking about their health, which is often stigmatized, and talking to their doctors more often." </p><p>For one thing, penis length is notoriously hard to measure, pun intended. Factors like temperature and level of arousal can lead to inconsistent results, according to Dubin. Lifestyle also plays a role — weight gain can make a penis appear shorter, for instance, while habits like healthy diet and exercise are generally linked to better sexual health as well as overall health, he said. </p><p>The takeaway for men here isn't to get out a ruler — what matters is raising awareness of men's sexual health, and encouraging further conversation, Dubin said. </p>

Penis lengths may not be shrinking &mdash; new evidence suggests they're growing at an alarming rate, and scientists don't know why

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Anyone with a uterus is usually born with 1-2 million eggs.</li><li>The number of eggs drops dramatically to 100,000-150,000 by your early 30s.</li><li>This rapid decline is largely why <keyword id="11914854" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fertility" source="Orion">fertility</keyword> declines as you grow older, but it's not the only factor.</li></ul><p>The female reproductive system is a fascinating network of cells and tissue capable of producing a human being. And the key to it all is the egg. </p><p>If you have a uterus, then you were probably born with roughly <a href="https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/fertility-preservation/for-female-patients/normal-ovarian-function" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1-2 million eggs</a>. But, oddly enough, by the time you hit puberty and are biologically capable of having a child of your own, that number drops dramatically. </p><p><strong>Note: </strong>There is no way to measure or test how many eggs you have at any given time. </p><p>Now, it's important to note that the number of eggs you have isn't the only factor when it comes to your chances of getting pregnant. But it is something to consider, especially if you're planning on having children later in life. </p><h2><strong>How many eggs do you have? </strong></h2><p>People with uteruses are born with all the eggs they will ever have, meaning there's no way to produce more, says <a href="https://powertodecide.org/about-us/leadership/raegan-mcdonald-mosley-md-mph" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH</a>, obstetrician-gynecologist and chief executive officer of <a href="https://powertodecide.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power to Decide</a>.</p><p>And as you age, you will eventually lose all of those 1-2 million eggs by the time you reach menopause, around age 50. But you won't lose them all the same way. </p><p>Here's a look at how many eggs you have during each decade of life up to menopause:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Age</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of eggs</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Egg loss and fertility</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Birth</p></td><td><p><a href="https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/fertility-preservation/for-female-patients/normal-ovarian-function" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One to two million eggs</a></p></td><td><p><a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/fertility-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">About 11,000 eggs</a> die every month before reaching <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/puberty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ages 10 to 14</a>, or puberty.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Puberty</p></td><td><p><a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2014/03/female-age-related-fertility-decline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">300,000 to 500,000 eggs</a></p></td><td><p>After starting the menstrual cycle, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532300/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about a thousand eggs</a> are lost every month.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>20s</p></td><td><p>150,000 to 300,000 eggs</p></td><td><p>The likelihood of getting pregnant generally peaks between the <a href="https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/having-a-baby-after-age-35-how-aging-affects-fertility-and-pregnancy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">late teen years until late 20s</a>, says McDonald-Mosley.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Early 30s</p></td><td><p>100,000 to 150,000 eggs</p></td><td><p>Fertility starts to <a href="https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/having-a-baby-after-age-35-how-aging-affects-fertility-and-pregnancy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decline</a> during the early 30s, says Klipstein.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Late 30s</p></td><td><p><a href="https://fertility.womenandinfants.org/services/women/diminished-ovarian-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roughly 27,000 eggs</a></p></td><td><p>The rate of egg loss <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532300/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increases</a> when you hit age 35.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Early 40s</p></td><td><p>5,000 to 10,000 eggs</p></td><td><p>By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant is <a href="https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets/documents/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets/age-and-fertility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less than 5%</a> per menstrual cycle.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Menopause</p></td><td><p>About <a href="https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/fertility-preservation/for-female-patients/normal-ovarian-function" target="_blank" rel="noopener">zero</a> to <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/fertility-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,000 eggs</a></p></td><td><p>Very few or <a href="https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/fertility-preservation/for-female-patients/normal-ovarian-function" target="_blank" rel="noopener">practically no eggs</a> remain by the time you reach <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000894.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ages 45 to 55</a>, or menopause.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>How you lose your eggs</h2><p>Egg loss typically happens one of two ways. The most well-known being ovulation, when your ovaries release a single, mature egg every month or so. If left unfertilized, that egg will leave your body as part of your period.</p><p>However, a person will typically only release <a href="https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/fertility-preservation/for-female-patients/normal-ovarian-function" target="_blank" rel="noopener">300-500</a> mature eggs in a lifetime. So what happens to 99% of eggs that don't mature? </p><p>They break down through a process called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6429023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">follicular atresia</a>, which is part of the body's natural process to <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/autophagy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remove</a> damaged or unused cells in order to remain healthy.</p><h2><strong>How egg count affects fertility</strong></h2><p>Egg loss is a natural part of aging for people with a uterus. </p><p>That's why, "age is the most important predictor of fertility," says <a href="https://www.inviafertility.com/about-us/dr-klipstein/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sigal Klipstein, MD, FACOG</a>, a fellow with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a reproductive endocrinologist at <a href="https://www.inviafertility.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InVia Fertility Specialists</a>.</p><p>It's also why after age 45, pregnancies are <a href="https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/having-a-baby-after-age-35-how-aging-affects-fertility-and-pregnancy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rare</a> and the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pregnancy-loss-miscarriage/symptoms-causes/syc-20354298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority</a> of them will miscarry, says Klipstein.</p><h2><strong style="color: #000000;">Other factors that influence fertility </strong></h2>Related Article Module: When do you ovulate? How to track your cycle and determine when you are most fertile<p>Although a person initially born with more eggs may remain fertile for a longer period of time, it's important to recognize that egg amount isn't the only factor when it comes to getting pregnant. Egg quality is also key, for example. </p><p>Egg quality <a href="https://uscfertility.org/fertility-treatments/female-egg-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refers</a> to the likelihood that the egg will grow and implant healthily to the wall of the uterus when it is fertilized. Much like the number of eggs, egg quality also <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/fertility-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declines</a> naturally with age.</p><p>Moreover, don't forget that it takes two to make a baby, and your partner's sperm plays an important role as well. Below is a list of things that can reduce fertility:</p><ul><li><strong>Smoking</strong>: Smoking is <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-stopping-smoking-boosts-your-fertility-naturally/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">associated</a> with damage to the eggs and ovaries, which can <a href="https://www.asrm.org/globalassets/asrm/asrm-content/news-and-publications/practice-guidelines/for-non-members/smoking_and_infertility.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accelerate</a> the loss of reproductive function. It can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0302283816300690?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce</a> sperm count and motility, or the sperm's ability to swim toward an egg.</li><li><strong>Medical conditions</strong>: <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medical conditions</a> like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as <a href="https://www.insider.com/chlamydia-symptoms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chlamydia</a> or gonorrhea may <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/std/infertility/default.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cause</a> infertility in women, says McDonald-Mosley. Genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis or Klinefelter's syndrome are <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20374773" target="_blank" rel="noopener">associated</a> with infertility in men.</li><li><strong>Cancer treatments</strong>: Chemotherapy may <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/fertility-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce</a> the number of healthy eggs and <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-men-with-cancer/how-cancer-treatments-affect-fertility.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slow down</a> sperm production. Radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis can also <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-women-with-cancer/how-cancer-treatments-affect-fertility.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">destroy</a> some or all eggs in the ovaries and <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-men-with-cancer/how-cancer-treatments-affect-fertility.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">damage</a> sperm cells, potentially resulting in infertility.</li></ul><p>Some individuals may be under the impression that <a href="https://www.insider.com/birth-control-doctor-what-to-expect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hormonal contraceptives</a> can cause infertility. However, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6055351/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this is not true</a>, regardless of the method and the duration of use, says McDonald-Mosley.</p><h2><strong>Insider's takeaway </strong></h2><p>People with uteruses are born with about 1-2 million eggs, which gradually decreases with age and affects fertility.</p><p>Fertility peaks during the late teens until the late 20s, and then it starts to decline as egg quantity and quality drop more drastically from age 30 onwards.</p><p>Medical conditions, smoking habits, and cancer treatments may also affect fertility.</p><p>"Optimally, people with uteruses should try to conceive when they are at the right time and place in their lives to do so. If they have difficulty, they should reach out to a fertility expert for testing to pinpoint the cause of the infertility," says Klipstein.</p><a data-type="61855b7c4204786d761f4232">6 things that happen to your vagina after you give birth</a><a data-type="6182c07379e9a971af279097">How doctors will turn a breech birth before and during labor</a><a data-type="5ded535a79d75701877e1ed2">Common mistakes that make Plan B less effective and what you can do about it</a><a data-type="615f3d7ba1b8366d8e1533fe">How to boost your chances of pregnancy after miscarriage - and when you can try to get pregnant again</a>

How many eggs you're born with plays a key role in fertility, but it's not the only factor

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/fertility">Fertility</a> specialist Cindy Duke and reproductive urologist Sriram Eleswarapu debunk common myths.</li><li>They talk about how <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ivf">IVF</a> isn't guaranteed to work and how stress does not cause <keyword id="6357793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pregnancy">pregnancy</keyword> loss.</li><li>Dr. Duke and Dr. Eleswarapu dive deep into these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/infertility">infertility myths</a> on this episode of <keyword id="1828584" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="debunked">Debunked</keyword>.</li></ul><p><strong>Duke: </strong>"Sex position matters."</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu:</strong> So, that is a myth.</p><p>"IVF guarantees pregnancy."</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>Oh, boy. It's a tough myth for patients to hear.</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>"Eating pineapple can increase <keyword id="6414006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fertility">fertility</keyword>."</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>Oh, that's a good one. Pineapple by itself, if you have infertility, is unlikely to reverse your infertility.</p><p>I'm Dr. Cindy. I am a fertility specialist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hello,</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>I'm Dr. Sriram Eleswarapu, and I'm a urologist at UCLA. And today we'll be debunking myths about infertility.</p><p><strong>Duke:</strong> "Tight underwear is bad for sperm count."</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>So, there've been a number of studies looking at this issue for many decades, and the inevitable question is boxers versus briefs. In truth, it doesn't matter a whole lot, and we know that if the testicles are a little bit warmer that they are more at risk of having sperm-count issues or sperm-motility issues, but, in general, it shouldn't matter too much. Just pick what's comfortable.</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>"Sex position matters."</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>So, that is a myth. No matter what position you engage in, if you ejaculate, you have the sufficient propulsion of the semen to make it up to the cervix, any way you do it.</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>People around the world have actually studied it, and no one position has been proven to be better than another.</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>"IVF guarantees pregnancy."</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>Oh, boy. Yes, that is definitely a myth. And it's a tough myth for patients to hear. IVF does present the highest chances of pregnancy, absolutely. There are a number of factors that play into IVF success. One of them has to do with the age of the eggs being used. It also has to do with the quality of the sperm and the egg when they come together. It has to do with the embryo that is ultimately formed. It also has to do with the genetics of the embryo. But then, on top of that, it has to do with the womb in which the embryo will be placed, and a number of factors are not yet fully known. So, we know the immune system plays a role. Diet, exercise probably play a role, but we're still investigating that. Biggest thing to know is it's not 100%.</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>"Stress causes miscarriages."</p><p>I think we're starting to get away from the term "miscarriages." We're starting to use the term "early pregnancy loss." Is that right?</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>That's correct. And I think it's because "miscarriage" also comes with certain connotations where blame is also ascribed, and the truth is, both early pregnancy losses, there's nothing the individual could have done about it at all. So now we call it early pregnancy loss before the end of the first trimester, versus second- and third-trimester pregnancy loss. We do not believe stress causes loss. Many people around the world across millennia have gotten <keyword id="21063" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="pregnant">pregnant</keyword> and remain pregnant despite tremendous stress. So we know it's not simply stress. Nowadays, though, we know the No. 1 reason for pregnancy loss is chromosomal differences in the formed embryo. And so that's called aneuploidy. 67% of first-trimester pregnancy losses are due to chromosomal issues within the embryo itself. Other reasons would be if the thyroid was not functioning well, if vitamin D is low, if there's a fibroid in the uterus. If you have a uterus and you've had two or more pregnancy losses, you should be evaluated. We always expected that it would be the individual with the womb and the eggs to be the one that gets evaluated for a pregnancy loss. Now the tide is shifting, and individuals who contribute the sperm are also being evaluated when there's a pregnancy loss in the couple. There's emerging data that things like DNA fragmentation, where the DNA that are normally supposed to be very tightly wrapped up in the sperm are somehow unraveled and might have little breaks in the DNA strands, and those breaks can contribute to the pregnancy loss.</p><p>"Freezing your eggs guarantees that you can have kids later."</p><p>Myth. And the myth is in the word "guaranteed." If you freeze your eggs, you can stop the clock. And so you're basically freezing the youngest version of yourself at that point. However, there's no guarantee that eggs even when frozen will thaw and yield a live-born baby. So it's really a conversation that needs to happen with your specialist based on your age, based on your egg number.</p><p>"Sperm quality doesn't decline with age."</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>There's a lot of data now that is showing that individuals with sperm that is older, say in the fifth, sixth, seventh decades of life and beyond, is more at risk of forming embryos that have chromosomal abnormalities. Getting exercise, eating well are things that can improve the general biology of an individual. Certainly if it's good for the heart and it's good for the brain, then it's probably good for the penis and the scrotum and the testicles as well. We talked about egg freezing, but sperm freezing has its role particularly for individuals who may not be in a relationship or may not be thinking of a family at this time but later on down the road they might want to produce a family.</p><p>"It's impossible to get pregnant after 35."</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>It is possible to get pregnant after 35. The truth is, though, that the chance of pregnancy progressively declines as the age of the egg increases. And so you might find greater and greater need for fertility treatments. When you're born, if you're someone born with ovaries, you'd have somewhere between 1 million to 2 million eggs in those ovaries, usually. By age 30, 70% of those eggs are gone, and by age 40, 97% of those eggs are gone. At the same time, those eggs are also aging. And so what we see is that the chance of pregnancy declines very quickly, and then for some people it declines even faster. So if you have endometriosis, if you're someone who's maybe had surgeries of the ovaries or needed to be on medications, chemotherapy, radiation, all of those things can also further the decline in the egg number. So my recommendation is, if you have ovaries, at age 30, you should at least be asking your doctor to do a check of your egg number, or what's called your ovarian reserve.</p><p>"The best way to get pregnant is to have sex every day."</p><p><strong>Eleswarapu: </strong>It comes down to the ovulatory cycles and making sure that you're sort of timing things and tracking things, particularly if you're trying to conceive deliberately. We always get this question, and I want to know what your thoughts are. Should the couple be trying to conceive every other day during ovulation, or every day during ovulation? I say every other day. One, we need to give the sperm and semen enough time to sort of reaccumulate so we can get those millions of sperm. The other is sperm actually survive in the female genital tract for up to five days. So once the egg is released from the ovary, think of the fallopian tube as an arm with a catcher's mitt at the end. The catcher's mitt captures the egg, pulls it into the arm, and then the egg sits around there for 12 to 20 hours waiting for sperm. And then if you have intercourse anywhere within the next 24 hours, sperm will also get to the egg. So that's why we say every other day around ovulation. There is this movement now, particularly on the internet, discussing what's called abstinence from pornography, masturbation, and orgasm, or PMO. It's also a movement called no NoFap. And those individuals say to have the best reserve of sperm or the best sort of power with erections or orgasm, that they should conserve for days, weeks, months at a time. This stuff is not scientific at all. And, in fact, after a week of storing up, the sperm may not necessarily be healthy.</p><p>"Eating pineapple can increase fertility."</p><p><strong>Duke: </strong>That's a good one. Pineapple by itself, if you have infertility, is unlikely to reverse your infertility. We know that pineapples have bromelain inside of them, which is a compound that is known to be a blood thinner to a certain degree, but it's very, very weak, and you'd have to eat so much pineapple to even have enough bromelain to have a little effect. You should be having a meal balancing protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. So getting your usual multivitamins and folate into your diet, because folate is really important for once you're pregnant. But technically, no, pineapple by itself does not boost fertility. Infertility, while a daunting thought, really there are lots of options available. The first step is actually an evaluation. Fertility and infertility constitute this huge spectrum, and there are many, many ways to get pregnant and many things one can do to help facilitate that. And you don't have to stay at home feeling embarrassed about it. If you talk to a specialist like myself, like Dr. Eleswarapu, we are experienced with this and know how to treat you or direct you to the right person who can help.</p>

Fertility experts debunk 19 myths about getting pregnant and fertility

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>A new study has found eating two handfuls of nuts a day could improve men's sperm counts. </strong></li><li><strong>Only fertile men were studied, so more research is needed to find out whether men with fertility problems would get the same benefits.</strong></li><li><strong>This research comes after an alarming study found that men's sperm counts in the western world have been dropping since 1973.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Nuts are high in vitamins and fibre, and there's also <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/nuts/art-20046635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some evidence they may be good for keeping your heart healthy</a>. According to a new study, <a href="https://www.eshre.eu/~/media/sitecore-files/Annual-meeting/Barcelona-2018/Salas_O238.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presented by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology</a>, eating nuts could also help improve male fertility.</p><p>Researchers from Rovira i Virgili University in Spain recruited 119 men aged 18 to 35, and divided them into two groups. One group ate 60 grams, about two handfuls, of almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts with their usual diet every day, while the second group ate none.</p><p>They were followed up after 14 weeks, and those who ate the nuts had significant improvements in their sperm count, vitality, and motility, and morphology. In other words, they had more sperm cells which were a better shape and moved further, and faster. They also had reduced DNA fragmentation, which is a measure of sperm damage.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Alessia Pierdomenico / Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Doctor is silhouetted as he walks past a poster in a Rome fertility clinic.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>This comes after<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sperm-count-dropping-in-western-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a study last year that found there was a significant general decline in men's sperm counts</a> - about 1.6% a year - in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand between 1973 and 2011.</p><p>The results "support a beneficial role for chronic nut consumption in sperm quality," the researchers said in a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona. But they also stressed that all the participants were healthy and fertile. The study didn't look into whether men with fertility problems would experience any benefits from the nuts.</p><p>According to the authors, the results are consistent with previous research which has shown sperm can be improved by diets rich in omega-3, antioxidants like vitamin C and E, selenium, zinc, and folate - all of which are found in nuts. Certain vitamins, such as zinc, have also been associated with later menopause, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-diet-can-affect-menopause-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a study earlier this year</a>.</p><p>But as for whether men should add nuts to their diet if they're trying to have a child, "we can't yet say that," said study co-author Albert Salas-Huetos.</p><p>"But evidence is accumulating in the literature that healthy lifestyle changes such as following a healthy dietary pattern might help conception - and of course, nuts are a key component of a Mediterranean healthy diet."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tallest-lifeforms-all-time-2018-6">The tallest lifeforms of all time</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Eating nuts could boost fertility in men, according to a new study

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/toxic-chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mess with the body's normal functioning</a>.</strong></li><li><strong>T</strong><strong>hey can contribute to lowered IQs, raised infertility rates, obesity, and low birth weights, among other things.</strong></li><li><strong>Leo Trasande, a pediatrician who studies the effects of these chemicals on people, warns of their effects in his new book, "Sicker, Fatter, Poorer."</strong></li><li><strong>Trasande says that with a few simple hacks, we can make our lives a little safer by avoiding these chemicals when possible.</strong></li><li><strong>The endocrine-disrupting chemicals he's most worried about are in our carpets, clothes, canned and packaged foods, cosmetics, and even receipts. </strong></li></ul><p>Through the course of a single day, your hands, mouth, and body come in contact with countless pieces of paper, plastic, fabric, and furniture.</p><p>You probably don't think about the chemicals these substances might harbor, or consider that they have a drug-like effect on health. But some do. They can make metabolisms slow down, subtly lower IQs, contribute to ADHD in children, and mess with sperm counts in men.</p><p>They're called "endocrine disruptors," and they're around us all the time. The chemicals change how our bodies work by shifting the way hormones operate, according to Leo Trasande, a pediatrician and public-health researcher at NYU Langone Health.</p><p>"Hormones are the basic signaling molecules in our body that take on so many actions for practically every organ system" Trasande told Business Insider. "And endocrine disruptors are synthetic chemicals that scramble those signals, contributing to disease and disability."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>In his <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sicker-Fatter-Poorer-Hormone-Disrupting-Chemicals/dp/1328553493" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new book</a>, "Sicker, Fatter, Poorer: <span id="productTitle">The Urgent Threat of Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals to Our Health and Future ... and What We Can Do About It," Trasande lays out the four big categories of endocrine disruptors he's most concerned about, based on evidence from scientific studies and observations in his patients.</span></p><p>They are:</p><ul><li><strong>Bisphenols,</strong> like BPA, which are often found in the linings of aluminum-<a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.5512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canned food and drinks</a> and on cash-register <a href="https://www.pca.state.mn.us/green-chemistry/bpa-thermal-paper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receipts</a>.</li><li><strong>Brominated flame retardants</strong> that are in some carpets, furniture, and clothing.</li><li><strong>Synthetic pesticides</strong> on food.</li><li>"Plasticizer chemicals" called <strong>phthalates</strong> that show up in plastic food packaging, lotions, and cosmetics.</li></ul><h2>BPA makes fat cells bigger, contributing to obesity and lower sperm counts</h2><p>The chemical BPA, and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanplh/PIIS2542-5196(17)30049-9.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">others like it</a>, could make the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5765817/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">body turn more calories into fat</a> instead of muscle, predisposing people to obesity.</p><p>In the lab, BPA acts like an obesogen. "It makes fat cells bigger," as Trasande writes. This is especially true if human embryos are exposed to the chemicals while still in a mother's womb.</p><p>Trasande said the obesogen effects of BPA are fairly small compared to what diet and exercise can do for health, but <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22990270" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they're real</a>.</p><p>"BPA exposure may explain nearly 2% of all obesity in 4-year-olds," Trasande says in his book. That stat is based on his analyses of data on childhood obesity and adult heart issues published in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24452104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the journal Health Affairs in 2014</a>.<span style="background-color: #ffcc00;"></span></p><p>The chemical is also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24247736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dangerous for babies and pregnant women;</a> it can up the odds of a premature birth, and mess with placenta function.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>Men are not immune to the effects of BPA, either. The chemical can mess with androgens (male sex hormones) like testosterone, contributing to lower sperm counts, and even testicular-cancer rates.</p><p>The vast majority of us are exposed to the chemical. A 2013-14 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC survey</a> suggested 95% of US adults have detectable levels of BPA.</p><p>Counter to the adage that "the dose makes the poison," with hormone-disrupting chemicals there are often nonlinear relationships between the amount of chemical exposure and risk as the body's enzymes duke it out and compete with the hormone disruptors.</p><p>"The notion that everything needs to be linear - in a straight-line relationship - is really our own intellectual construct on a scientific reality that's much more complicated," Trasande says.</p><p>Many manufacturers are switching to BPA-free products. But that doesn't always mean they're safer, Trasande says, because many of the so-called replacements are just BPA relatives and the chemicals have similar effects on our health.</p><p>"To a large extent, when you don't know what's replacing [BPA], it's often BPS, BPF, BPP, BPZ - what I like to joke of as the artist formerly known as Prince," he said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><h2>Brominated flame retardants found in most furniture we use</h2><p>Brominated flame retardants - flame-stomping chemicals found in furniture, carpeting, clothing, and car-seat foam - can change the way the thyroid functions in a similar way to BPA, shifting how the body processes fats and carbohydrates.</p><p>What's more, a 2012 <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-met-flame-retardants-20120506-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Tribune</a> investigation found that the firefighting chemicals, which are standard fare in foam cushions, don't work well to stop flames.</p><p>One <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4123029/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">large study of the flame retardants</a> in houses pinpointed a link between ADHD and exposure to the chemicals. More <a href="https://www.nih.gov/echo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> is ongoing.</p><p>Concentrations of the chemicals <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5360950/">in human blood, sweat, and breast milk</a> are much higher in the US than in parts of the world, such as Europe, where more brominated flame retardants are banned.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><h2>Chemicals we spray to kill bugs can mess with us too</h2><p>Certain pesticides used on food are also a concern, including bug-killing chlorpyrifos pesticides. These have been shown to impede brain development, making changes to the way a woman's thyroid functions during pregnancy.</p><p>In the 1970s and '80s, before the chemical was banned in homes, doctors started noticing an increase in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5739382/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tinier and shorter premature babies</a> being born, even in homes with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247388/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low levels of the chemicals</a>. After the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of chlorpyrifos in homes, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/chlorpyrifos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2000</a>, birth weights went back up.</p><p>Exposure to chlorpyrifos can have lasting effects on child development. One <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4809635/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015 study in kids between the ages of 11 and 14</a> found prenatal exposure to the chemical was linked to more arm tremors, which are also common in adults who've been exposed to lead. The chemicals are <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/408173-trump-admin-appeals-ruling-ordering-epa-to-ban-pesticide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still used</a> in agriculture.</p><h2>Flexible plastics can also contribute to cancer</h2><p>Finally, Trasande is concerned about phthalates, chemicals that help make plastics more flexible and durable. They appear in raincoats, flooring, hair spray, nail polish, plastic food packaging, and toys.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/chemicals-and-contaminants/phthalates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US government</a>, "one phthalate, Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is an endocrine disruptor and can cause cancer." Additionally, the government says some phthalates can mess with normal reproduction and child-development processes.</p><p>In some studies, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women tended to have more of the chemicals in their bodies than men</a> because of beauty products they use. But anyone who eats packaged food or breathes in household dust probably has phthalates in their system.</p><p>More research on what these chemicals are doing to us is needed, but we do already have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4005250/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some evidence that they're leading to premature births</a>, which can set kids up for a whole <a href="https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/wellness-community/health-information/short-long-term-effects-preterm-birth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host of health problems</a> later in life, including <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pretermbirth.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vision and hearing</a> issues, chronic diseases like diabetes, <a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/resources/spotlight/012612-effects-preterm-birth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anxiety, depression</a>, and learning disabilities.</p><p>The plasticizing chemicals <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26385792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may also be linked</a> to decreases in male testosterone levels. Scientists need to know more about the plastics before they'll say that conclusively, though.</p><p><strong><em>Read more</em></strong>: <em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-are-pfas-chemicals-2018-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dangerous 'forever chemicals' have been found in US drinking water at alarmingly high rates - here's what to know about PFAS</a></em></p><p>Recently, manufacturers, retailers, and state lawmakers have started to pay more serious attention to the dangers of hormone disruptors, and they're making some changes.</p><p>Since 2013, California <a href="https://www.kqed.org/science/11318/its-official-toxic-flame-retardants-no-longer-required-in-furniture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no longer requires furniture</a> to contain flame retardants (a previous requirement for 38 years).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><span style="background-color: #ffcc00;"></span></p><h2>What you can do to reduce your exposure</h2><ul><li>Eat less canned food and more fresh produce. Trasande is a fan of organic farming because it generally excludes synthetic pesticides, but studies suggest that eating <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/could-eating-organic-prevent-cancer-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whatever fresh produce you can afford</a> is the best strategy for your health.</li><li>Say no to paper receipts. This can help receipt-handling cashiers, who often have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21205581" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elevated levels of BPA</a> in their urine.</li><li>Don't microwave plastic containers or put them in a dishwasher as the heat promotes chemical leaching. Throw kitchen plastics away when they become etched or scratched.</li><li>Avoid the recycling Nos. 3, 6, and 7, which are <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/plasticpam.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common plastics</a> found in shampoo bottles, Styrofoam trays for ground beef, and coffee-cup lids, among other things.</li><li>Incorporate iodine-rich foods into your diet, including seafood, dairy, and cranberries. Iodine is <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a necessary ingredient for thyroid-hormone production,</a> which helps bones and brains develop well.</li><li>Look for cosmetics that are "phthalate-free" and made without parabens, triclosan, or benzophenones.</li><li>Opt for naturally flame-resistant fibers, like wool, instead of chemically treated carpets, furniture, and clothes.</li><li>Circulate fresh air through your home.</li></ul><p>Small steps like these can make a big difference. The <a href="http://web.colby.edu/cleanmakeup/government-regulations/european-union-regulations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> has <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009R1223" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> 1,328 chemicals from cosmetic use, and under the new bans <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463916301092?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French scientists have noticed a decline in chemical concentrations</a> in people's blood, urine, and hair. In the US, the FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceRegulation/LawsRegulations/ucm127406.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forbids just 11 chemicals</a>, and concentrations of the toxic chemicals in American bodies <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1002727" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are elevated</a> when compared to Europeans.</p><p>The US has taken steps to improve public health before. The phase-out of leaded gasoline and paint in the 1970s led to a measurable brainpower boost in kids: as blood lead levels dropped, IQs went up anywhere from 2.2 to 4.7%. The economic benefits of that ban tally up to <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/pediatrics/divisions/environmental-pediatrics/research/policy-initiatives/economic-costs-childhood-lead-exposure-low-middle-income-countries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$2.45 trillion every year,</a> and Trasande compares the IQ hike's impact on productivity and the economy to a generous stimulus package:</p><p>As Trasande writes, "Each of us 300 million Americans gets the equivalent of as much as a $1,000 tax refund each year because we did the right thing and got lead out of gasoline in the 1970s."</p><p>Many of the chemicals on Trasande's danger list today stay in the <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/185731/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">body for hours</a> or days, not months or years, which means it's never too late to reduce your exposure.</p>

A toxic-chemicals expert is sounding the alarm about 4 cancer-linked chemicals that could be making us sicker and fatter

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Sudan, the last male white rhino left in the entire world, is under 24-hour protection by armed guards at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/16/africa/kenya-northern-white-rhino/">CNN reports</a>. The entire species depends on his ability to reproduce with the two other females there.</p><p>Sudan, however, is no spring chicken. At 42, he may no longer be able to "naturally mount and mate with a female," the conservancy's deputy veterinarian <span>George Paul told CNN. He also has a low sperm count.</span></p><p><span>To make matters worse, the older of the two females has weak legs and may not be able to support Sudan. The conservancy has been trying to coax a conception, but so far, it's had no luck. </span></p><p><span><span>Unfortunately, most rhinos species can't interbreed. For example, a northern white rhino can't mate with a black rhino. There's a chance, however, that a northern white rhino could mate with a southern white rhino, the only rhino species not on the endangered list.</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If the entire population disappears from the globe, the result could spell catastrophe for African savannas - and potentially the whole world.</span></p><p>Poaching and habitat loss seriously threaten the rhino population. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In 2013, 1,004 rhinos were poached in South Africa. That's a terrible number considering only about </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rhino-hunting-permit-2014-1">20,000 Southern white rhinos and 5,000 black rhinos</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> still inhabit South Africa. Other species of rhino fare even worse:</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Rhinos, considered a "megaherbivore," are a keystone species and play a pivotal role in ecosystems.</p><p>Removal of a keystone species has huge downstream effect in the ecosystem and can throw an entire community out of whack, as Jason G. Goldman explains in <a href="http://conservationmagazine.org/2014/02/will-happen-rhinos-gone/">Conservation Magazine</a>. For example, when agriculture and hunting decimated the Yellowstone wolves, the deer population exploded, leading to decline in plant species as well.</p><p>While we know less about how megaherbivores fit into ecosystems, a 2009 paper in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/326/5956/1100.short">Science</a> found that extinction of Pleistocene megaherbivores caused similar large-scale damage in North America - one of most fundamental questions in modern ecology.</p><p>Taking that a step further, rhinos' grazing specifically helps maintain the savanna grasslands, and those grasslands sustain numerous other species, whether directly or through predation, according to a May 2014 study in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.12218/abstract">Journal of Ecology</a>.</p><p>The study focused on Kruger National Park in South Africa, where the rhinos' decline has already started to affect the structure and composition of grasslands. In areas with a high density of rhinos, the researchers found more short grasses - an important metric for biodiversity, Goldman explains. Although seemingly counterintuitive, grazers, like rhinos, increase biodiversity by selecting certain plants over others, giving other species more ability to grow.</p><p>"Not only is rhino poaching threatening the species conservation status, but also the potentially key role of this apex consumer for savanna ecosystem dynamics and functioning," the authors wrote.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Aside from providing food for numerous species, grasslands, like the savannas, serve an important global role, as well. They act as natural "<a href="http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/2/1/3">carbon sinks</a>" - essentially storage lockers for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a cause of global warming. Because of industrialization, Africa's carbon emissions will likely increase substantially throughout the 21st century.</p><p>The savannas, where rhino live, are an important ecosystem, and it seems that conservation of the species is essential to preserving them.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-sex-happy-couples-have-every-month-relationships-science-2015-3">Here's how much sex happy couples have every month</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="kzam9yczoRday4iMwxqmAYMJtrg2etNb" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "declining sperm counts" and got 12 results

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The only male northern white rhino left in the entire world is under 24-hour protection by armed guards

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