Is human fecundity declining?
Summary The decreasing trends in fertility rates in many industrialized countries are now so dramatic that they deserve much more scientific attention. Although social and behavioural factors undoubtedly play a major role for these trends, it seems premature, and not based on solid information, to conclude that these trends can be ascribed to social and behavioural changes alone. There is evidence to suspect that changing lifestyle and increasing environmental exposures, e.g. to endocrine disrupters, are behind the trends in occurrence of male reproductive health problems, including testis cancer, undescended testis and poor semen quality. These biological factors may also contribute to the extremely low fertility rates. However, the necessary research is complex and requires non-traditional collaboration between demographers, epidemiologists, clinicians, biologists, wild life researchers, geneticists and molecular biologists. This research effort can hardly be carried out without major support from governments and granting agencies making it possible to fund collaborative projects within novel research networks of scientists.
Skakkebaek
Niels E
NE
University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. nes@rh.dk
Jørgensen
Niels
N
Main
Katharina M
KM
Rajpert-De Meyts
Ewa
E
Leffers
Henrik
H
Andersson
Anna-Maria
AM
Juul
Anders
A
Carlsen
Elisabeth
E
Mortensen
Gerda Krog
GK
Jensen
Tina Kold
TK
Toppari
Jorma
J
D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005298:Fertility; D006059:Gonadal Dysgenesis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects
D004785:Environmental Pollutants