Bio Project

Introduction
India has a population of as many as 27.5 million infertile people,

including men and women, according to the Indian Society of Assisted
Reproduction. One in every fifteen Indian couples struggles with
infertility.
Large numbers of people are affected by infertility in their lifetime,
according to a new report published today by WHO. Around 17.5% of
the adult population – roughly 1 in 6 worldwide – experience infertility,
showing the urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality
fertility care for those in need.
The World Health Organization states about 60 to 80 million couples
worldwide have infertility.
Southern and Eastern Europe and East Asia have some of the lowest
fertility rates, with 1.5 children per woman.
On average, 1 in 4 couples in developing countries experiences
infertility. Data indicates that assisted reproductive technology (ART)
has increased 5% to 10% annually.
There can be many causes for infertility, but some prominent ones are:
Unhealthy lifestyle: Alcohol, tobacco, and drug usage
Oligospermia: The generation of sperm of inferior quality
Imbalances in hormones: In males, Low testosterone and other
hormonal disorders adversely affect fertility. In females, Prolactin can
be produced in excess (hyperprolactinemia) by the pituitary gland,
which lowers the amount of oestrogen produced and may result in
infertility.
Tumours: Cancer cells and benign cysts, tissues that release hormones
related to conception, such as the pituitary, or unknown causes can all
have an impact on the reproductive system directly.
Chemicals and substances causing infertility
A particular group of common chemicals called Endocrine Disrupting
Chemicals, known as EDCs, can affect sperm, egg and embryo quality
and, therefore, a person’s chance of having a baby. They can also affect
the potential the long-term health of the child. Around 95 per cent of
us have EDCs in our bodies. People who struggle to conceive have
higher levels of some EDCs. We also know that higher levels of some
EDCs are associated with a decreased chance of becoming pregnant.
Phthalates
It is a chemical used in manufacturing plastic. There is strong evidence
that Phthalates cause significant adverse effects in the reproductive
system of infants. Phthalates in the body of a pregnant woman
adversely affect the development of reproductive organs of the infant.
The widespread use of Phthalates leads to significant exposure through
contaminated foods, food packaging, or medical products. The major
routes for direct phthalates exposure in humans are inhalation and
dermal contacts from the cosmetics, perfumes, scents, textiles, sanitary
napkins, etc. Studies was conducted on examining the geographical
distribution of concentrations and phthalate exposures in Asian
countries and it was found that, the highest total phthalate metabolite
(Ʃ14 phthalates) concentrations were found in urine samples collected
from Kuwait (1050 ng/mL), followed by India (389 ng/mL) and China
(234 ng/mL)
EE2 (17a-Ethinylestradiol)
EE2 is an estrogenic, an artificial chemical which mimics oestrogen and
binds to oestrogen receptors. It is also called "The birth control
estrogenic" and is a widely used ingredient in birth control pills and
chemical contraceptives. Many more people are involved with these
drugs on other levels. EE2 was intentionally designed to mimic
estrogen, activate the estrogen receptor, and stay in the body longer
than natural estrogen. EE2 leaks into our water supply through
wastewater, and is rarely extracted before being recycled.
Male infertility and the decrease in sperm count

A study published in Human Reproduction Update looked at temporal
trends in sperm count. Dr Sarah Martins da Silva, Reader in
Reproductive Medicine, University of Dundee, said:
“This publication considers data on sperm counts from 233 scientific
studies published since 1981. The researchers published this data
previously (2017), but have updated to include 38 newer studies
(14233 samples) from 2014 – 2019, importantly from all areas of the
globe.”
Their findings confirm that sperm counts are falling by around 1.1% per
year, with an overall decline of 51.6% in 45 years. Of concern, the rate
of decline has doubled since 2000. From 2000 to 2018, the decline was
2.6% per year. The male reproductive hormone Testosterone has been
dropping at the same rate. This has massively affected male fertility
because the average sperm count and sperm quality of males has been
decreasing every year.
Female infertility
Infertility is a common disease. At least 10% of women deal with
infertility of some kind. The chances of being infertile increases as a
woman ages. There are many possible causes of infertility. Overall, one-
third of infertility cases are caused by male reproductive issues, one-
third by female reproductive issues, and one-third by both male and
female reproductive issues or by unknown factors.
Some of the factors affecting fertility in females are:
Age. The quality and quantity of a woman's eggs begin to decline with
age. In the mid-30s, the rate of follicle loss speeds, resulting in fewer
and poorer quality eggs.
Weight. Being overweight or significantly underweight may affect
ovulation.
Smoking. Besides damaging your cervix and fallopian tubes, smoking
increases your risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.
Breast cancer and rising infertility in women

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women,
accounting for about 25% cases of all cancers in women. Breast cancer
caused 685 000 deaths globally in 2020. Roughly half of all breast
cancers occur in women with no specific risk factors other than sex and
age. Breast cancer occurs in every country in the world. Breast cancer
has been rising.

Bio Project

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Bio Project

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Bio Project

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction

India has a population of as many as 27.5 million infertile people,

Male infertility and the decrease in sperm count

Breast cancer and rising infertility in women

You might also like