The WHO Special Planning for Human Reproduction Office estimated a global infertility rate of at least 15 % which means nearly 60–80 million couples are infertile worldwide. Male reproductive health is receiving increasing attention and studies have shown that men contribute to 40–70% of the couple’s infertility. In recent years, extensive evidence has suggested a global downward trend in semen quality, and multiple studies have reported significant declines in sperm concentration, count, and motility in recent decades, almost 50% in 50 years.
We spoke to Dr. Sanjay Prakash J, Consultant Microsurgical Andrologist & Urologist, Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology, Chennai to understand how air pollution impacts male fertility. He explained that the usual explanations are varicocele, seminal infections, hormonal imbalances, cryptorchidism (undescended testis), lifestyle factors such as diet, stress, smoking, obesity, drug and steroid abuse and BMI.
In recent years, studies have documented the significant implications that environmental factors impose on male fertility potential. Studies have reported that, today, almost 2.4 billion people are exposed to hazardous levels of indoor pollution, while 99% of the global population breathes air pollutants that exceed the World Health Organization guideline limits.
This trend is particularly concerning in highly polluted areas across South Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, where infertility rates are notably high. .
