Geng Haiying, Rayburn Elizabeth R, Wang Qiuhong, Chen Yunting, Shang Xuejun, Li Haibo
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
Nantong Male Fertility Maintenance Key Laboratory, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
J Assist Reprod Genet. 2025 Aug 11. doi: 10.1007/s10815-025-03563-w.
This study aims to investigate the trends in sperm concentration among fertile Chinese males over the past four decades, addressing whether there has been a change in sperm concentration and identifying potential causes.
The research included 94 Chinese and English literature sources, covering 27 provinces and cities across China, encompassing a total of 14,634 individuals. A least squares linear regression model was applied to analyze sperm concentration data.
The analysis indicated a significant downward trend overall from 1984 to 2023 (P = 8.42e - 10). A single-factor analysis of variance was performed, categorized by the year of sample collection, showing a decline in sperm concentration across each decade of the collection years (P = 1.01e - 08), with the most significant decline noted between 2004 and 2013 (P = 0.0035).
The findings suggest a general decline in sperm concentration among fertile Chinese males over the past forty years, with a more pronounced decline after the twenty-first century, potentially associated with escalating environmental pollution due to heavy industrialization, poor lifestyle habits, and radiation from electronic devices. Further research is essential to elucidate the causes of and broader implications associated with this downward trend.
本研究旨在调查过去四十年来中国可育男性精子浓度的变化趋势，探讨精子浓度是否发生了改变，并确定潜在原因。
该研究纳入了94篇中英文文献资料，覆盖中国27个省和直辖市，共计14634人。应用最小二乘线性回归模型分析精子浓度数据。
分析表明，1984年至2023年总体呈显著下降趋势（P = 8.42e - 10）。按样本采集年份进行单因素方差分析，结果显示在各采集年份的每十年中精子浓度均呈下降趋势（P = 1.01e - 08），其中2004年至2013年下降最为显著（P = 0.0035）。
研究结果表明，在过去四十年中，中国可育男性的精子浓度普遍下降，在21世纪后下降更为明显，这可能与工业化进程加快导致的环境污染加剧、不良生活习惯以及电子设备辐射有关。进一步的研究对于阐明这种下降趋势的原因及其更广泛的影响至关重要。
