{
  "id": 9120465,
  "title": "Male infertility is 'grossly underreported'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/male-infertility-is-grossly-underreported-9120465",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-22T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/male-infertility-is-grossly-underreported/a-79368722?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 2026 study published in Antioxidants reveals that global sperm counts have plummeted by more than 51% since 1973, with the decline accelerating. Despite the significant issue, male infertility remains vastly underreported and misunderstood. Edidiong Akang, a reproductive biologist at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, emphasizes the severity of the problem. Research led by Akang found that sperm morphology and motility suffered a 50% and 87% decline, respectively, between 2010 and 2019 in Nigeria alone. Factors contributing to this decline include weight gain, stress, poor sleep, smoking, microplastics, and cannabis use. Testosterone-laden steroids, often used for achieving a muscular physique, can suppress sperm production. A Harvard Medical School researcher, Harrison Pope, explains that heavy, long-term steroid use often leads to permanent fertility issues, with two-thirds of men not recovering sperm count even a year after cessation. However, early detection and treatment can often restore sperm count to normal levels within six to twelve months.",
  "summary": "It's not all on women anymore — doctors do test men for sperm count and motility. But still too few men get checked, possibly due to a misconception that a healthy sex life means healthy sperm. Spoiler: It doesn't.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Male infertility is 'grossly underreported'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/male-infertility-is-grossly-underreported",
        "published": "2026-09-22T10:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}