MAtErnAL And InFAnt EXPoSurE

In recent times male infertility and deteriorating semen quality has been an increasingly prevalent issue; researchers point towards changing environmental and lifestyle conditions as arguably the most significant cause of this phenomenon. Environmental and lifestyle exposure to a wide variety of factors may stress the male reproductive system throughout a man’s lifespan, from gestation to advanced adult age (Fig. 5.1). Ultimately, male infertility may be the result of exposure to any combination of factors such as chemical toxins, smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise, obesity, different types of stress, and the increasing prevalence of cell phone and ionizing radiation. While spermatogenesis is a function of only mature testes, the effects of maternal or paternal exposure to adverse environmental factors can be projected to the future offspring, resulting in poor semen quality in the male offspring years later. Parental exposure in conjunction with the exposure of the adult offspring can amplify the affects. While adverse environmental effects during adulthood are believed to be reversible, damage done before and up to puberty is considered by many to be irreversible. Despite the lack of conclusive studies tracking effects of the environment and lifestyle of an individual throughout life, there is reason enough to believe that the environment and lifestyle plays a significant role in the quality of male gamete production and thus male fertility as a whole. This argument is evidenced by the fact that over the last 50 years mean sperm counts in the general population have decreased by 50 percent while dramatic environmental and lifestyle changes have occurred during this same period. The expansion of the chemical industry in every facet of modern life in both developed and developing countries is one such major change. While there may be arguments that state otherwise, the implications of these issues are significant and warrant increased awareness and the implementation of precautions that may help reverse diminishing male fertility.