Home Health An unexpected side effect of work-from-home culture? The sperm are now less active.

An unexpected side effect of work-from-home culture? The sperm are now less active.

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The researchers studied semen from 6,758 men aged 18 to 45 collected by the world's largest sperm bank, Cryos International in Denmark. Research published in the journal Human Reproduction found that samples, taken from men who applied to be sperm donors between 2017 and 2022, found that sperm concentration

When men stayed home during the pandemic, it appears their sperm also became less active.

The researchers came to this finding while investigating the widely held view that sperm counts in men are declining worldwide.

While they didn’t find any decrease in numbers, they did find that sperm collected during lockdown swam much less.

The scientists studied semen from 6,758 men aged 18 to 45 collected by the world’s largest sperm bank, Cryos International in Denmark.

Research published in the journal Human Reproduction found that sperm concentration samples, taken from men who applied to be sperm donors between 2017 and 2022, “did not change significantly over a six-year period.”

The researchers studied semen from 6,758 men aged 18 to 45 collected by the world’s largest sperm bank, Cryos International in Denmark. Research published in the journal Human Reproduction found that samples, taken from men who applied to be sperm donors between 2017 and 2022, found that sperm concentration “did not change significantly over a six-year period.”

Research has previously suggested that sperm count in men is declining. Pictured is a 2022 global study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update. The graph shows: The sperm concentration rate is decreasing globally from samples collected between 1972 and 2000 (orange) and since 2000 (red).

Research has previously suggested that sperm count in men is declining. Pictured is a 2022 global study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update. The graph shows: The sperm concentration rate is decreasing globally from samples collected between 1972 and 2000 (orange) and since 2000 (red).

But they did find that there was a big difference in motility: the ability of sperm to swim spontaneously.

Study co-author Professor Allan Pacey from the University of Manchester said: “It is commonly believed that sperm counts in men are declining.”

He said a recent ‘meta-study’ – which compiled data from 44 investigations – by Dr. Hagai Levine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that sperm counts had declined by up to 2.64 percent annually in men across the world. world since 2000.

Professor Pacey, however, said: “We saw no such change and that suggests that in this population of sperm donation seekers, in these four Danish cities, sperm concentrations have not changed between 2017 and 2022.”

But the total number of swimming sperm provided for testing decreased by 16 percent and 22 percent respectively from 2019 to 2022.

Co-author Professor Robert Montgomerie from Queen’s University, Canada, said: “The decline in measures of sperm motility between 2019 and 2022 was an unexpected finding.

‘This decline roughly corresponds to the start of the global Covid pandemic.

“While there is no evidence to suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is directly affecting sperm, we speculate whether widespread lockdowns may have led to changes in work patterns, diet and physical activity levels that we already know can affect sperm motility.’

The study authors were unable to gather information about the health or lifestyles of the men who applied to be sperm donors that could help identify factors that may explain decreased sperm motility.

The current study only analyzed samples collected in 2017, since more precise computational methods were used to count sperm from that date, before this counting was done manually.

THE CAUSES OF MALE INFERTILITY

The most common cause of infertility in men is poor quality semen, the fluid containing sperm that is ejaculated during sexual intercourse.

Possible reasons for abnormal semen include:

  • Lack of sperm: You may have a very low sperm count or no sperm at all.
  • sperm that do not move correctly; this will make it more difficult for the sperm to swim to the egg
  • Abnormal sperm: Sperm can sometimes be abnormally shaped, making it difficult for them to move and fertilize an egg.

Many cases of abnormal semen are unexplained.

There is a link between increased scrotal temperature and reduced semen quality, but it is unclear whether wearing loose underwear improves fertility.

Testicles

The testicles produce and store sperm. If they are damaged, it can seriously affect the quality of your semen.

This can happen as a result of:

  • an infection of your testicles
  • Testicular cancer
  • testicular surgery
  • a problem with the testicles you were born with (a birth defect)
  • when one or both testicles have not descended into the scrotum, the loose sac of skin that contains the testicles (undescended testicles)
  • testicle injury

Sterilization

Some men choose to have a vasectomy if they do not want to have children or have more children.

It involves cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm out of the testicles (the vas deferens) so that the semen no longer contains sperm.

A vasectomy can be reversed, but reversals are usually not successful.

hypogonadism

Hypogonadism is an abnormally low level of testosterone, the male sex hormone involved in sperm production.

It could be caused by a tumor, using illegal drugs, or Klinefelter syndrome, a rare syndrome in which a man is born with an extra female chromosome.

Medications and drugs

Certain types of medications can sometimes cause infertility problems.

These medications are listed below:

  • sulfasalazine: an anti-inflammatory medication used to treat conditions such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis; Sulfasalazine may decrease sperm count, but its effects are temporary and your sperm count should return to normal when you stop taking it.
  • anabolic steroids – often used illegally to build muscle and improve athletic performance; Prolonged abuse of anabolic steroids can reduce sperm count and motility.
  • Chemotherapy: Drugs used in chemotherapy can sometimes severely reduce sperm production.
  • Herbal Remedies: Some herbal remedies, such as root extracts of the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii, can affect sperm production or reduce the size of the testicles.
  • Illegal drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, can also affect semen quality.

Fountain: National Health Service

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