Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 26, 1994 TAG: 9404270002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Neil Chethik
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sperm counts among U.S. men have dropped by an astonishing 50 percent over the past 50 years, according to a recent Finnish study that has ignited a fiery debate within the relatively unknown field of andrology, or male reproduction.
The sperm decline has contributed to a tripling of the infertility rate since World War II. And some experts say that if this decline continues unabated for another five or six generations, most men will be infertile.
The cause of the sperm decline is not known for certain. But Bob Chapin, who conducts male reproductive research for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, believes human-made chemicals are behind it.
The Finnish study is ``a yellow warning light'' to our chemical culture, he says. ``I don't think it's anything to get loopy about. But something's going on here.''
Chapin remains cautious about the Finnish study because it's based on data that cannot be verified. The study compared sperm counts from 28 previous U.S. research projects dating back to 1938. It's likely, Chapin points out, that the projects used varying methods for selecting subjects and counting sperm.
Some andrologists say these variations are enough to render the Finnish study worthless. But Chapin is among the majority who believe the study's conclusions are too dramatic to ignore. His government agency has begun designing an animal study to determine the impact of exposure to certain chemicals over many years.
We already know that some chemicals can destroy a man's reproductive system very quickly. In the most dramatic example to date, a large number of male workers at a California plant in 1977 were sterilized by daily exposure to dibromochloropropane (DBCP), a pesticide they were manufacturing.
More recently, U.S. government officials discovered dangerous levels of lead in millions of crayons being used - and eaten - by children. It's not known whether these children will suffer reproductive injury, but lead is among more than 1,000 chemicals and other substances that toxicologists know can damage the male reproductive system.
Many of these substances, such as alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and anabolic steroids, are within the power of most people to avoid. But some dangerous chemicals may be in our air, food, water and common products.
Each year, several hundred new chemical compounds are added to the 70,000 compounds and 4 million mixtures currently in commercial use, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Among the most suspicious ones are so-called ``synthetic estrogens,'' used in manufacturing, pesticides, plastics, medications and many other things. When men or boys come in contact with them, these compounds can act much like the female hormone estrogen, and alter or shut down the male reproductive system.
How can we protect ourselves? First, we can learn the side effects of the drugs our doctors prescribe for us. Some antibiotics, for example, can temporarily lower sperm counts. The Physicians' Desk Reference, available at most libraries, contains this kind of information.
Also, if we suspect that workplace chemicals may be harming us, we can call the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (800-35-NIOSH). This government agency will investigate a chemical whenever three or more employees request it.
Finally, we can let our members of Congress know that we want federal agencies to carefully test all chemicals, and to monitor their use.
If we committed to doing just this much, we might save ourselves and our male descendants a lot of unnecessary heartache.
Male call
Men and women: If you have gone through a period of infertility, what were the emotional and financial costs? Send responses, comments and questions to the Men's Column, in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
by CNB