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Nimmt die Fruchtbarkeit der Männer ab?

Is there a decline in male fertility?

  • Leitthema
  • Published:
Der Gynäkologe Aims and scope

Zusammenfassung

Die Frage nach einer über die letzten Jahrzehnte stetig abnehmenden Spermaqualität wird immer noch diskutiert; die Datenlage ist noch nicht eindeutig. Zwar glaubt die Mehrzahl der Autoren einen Abwärtstrend der herkömmlichen Spermaparameter zu erkennen, doch es gibt auch in jüngster Zeit Berichte über eine eher zunehmende Spermienzahl und eine verkürzte Zeitspanne, die Paare zur Erzielung einer Schwangerschaft benötigen. Zur Beunruhigung trägt auch bei, dass mit der beobachteten Abnahme der Spermaqualität andere Erkrankungen des männlichen Genitalsystems, wie Hodentumoren und Hodenhochstand sowie Hypospadien, zunehmend häufig auftreten. Angeschuldigt werden genetische Ursachen und vor allem Umwelteinflüsse, da die unterschiedlichen Spermaqualitäten regional unterschiedlich beobachtet wurden. Von einer global abnehmenden Fruchtbarkeit der Männer kann nicht eindeutig gesprochen werden, zumal die Charakterisierung der Fertilität durch die herkömmlichen Parameter Zahl, Beweglichkeit und Morphologie nicht ausreichend ist und die zur Verfügung stehenden Studien eine breite Heterogenität aufweisen.

Abstract

The question of a continuously deteriorating semen quality is still a matter of lively discussion but up to now there has been no clear evidence for such a trend. Although the majority of authors communicate a decline of the conventional semen parameters there are also reports on increasing sperm counts and that couples had taken less time to conceive. Apart from the observed decline in sperm quality further adverse trends for other diseases of the male genital system, like testicular tumors, cryptorchidism and hypospadia are worrying. These developments are explained by genetic influences and in particular environmental factors, as regional differences obviously exist. Nevertheless, a worldwide decline in male fertility cannot be proven especially because characterization of fertility by the conventional semen parameters sperm count, motility and morphology is not sufficient and because of the great heterogeneity of the different studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie/Abt. Andrologie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127, Bonn, Deutschland

    G. Haidl & J.P. Allam

  2. Klinik und Poliklinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie, Universitätsklinikum Giessen, Giessen, Deutschland

    H.C. Schuppe

  3. Andrologikum München, München, Deutschland

    F.M. Köhn

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  1. G. Haidl
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  2. J.P. Allam
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  3. H.C. Schuppe
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  4. F.M. Köhn
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Correspondence to G. Haidl.

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Haidl, G., Allam, J., Schuppe, H. et al. Nimmt die Fruchtbarkeit der Männer ab?. Gynäkologe 46, 18–21 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00129-012-3037-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00129-012-3037-2

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