ICYMI, "silent sperm" is apparently a thing, as Nicholas Kristof reminds us in his latest New York Times op-ed, wherein he describes a growing threat facing many modern males: lack of sperm and, more specifically, lack of fertile sperm. Indeed, as Kristof notes, sperm counts have been consistently decreasing for the past 75 years and, even worse, the sperm that we do have is misshapen, or, as he puts it, "veering like drunks or paddling crazily in circles."

It's a poetic way to describe a problem that could end up altering the course of the human species. “I think we are at a turning point,” Niels Erik Skakkebaek, a Danish fertility scholar told Kristof. “It is a matter of whether we can sustain ourselves.”

However, there are ways we can protect ourselves from this exigent threat. Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist who spoke with Kristof, cited food or drinks that were stored or heated in plastics as possible culprits. She also noted that thermal printers, commonly found at ATMs and check-out lines, should be avoided.

But, according to Kristof, it will ultimately take stricter regulations on endocrine disrupting chemicals—the kind that can appear in personal care and household cleaning products, canned foods, and even our drinking water—to effectively combat this issue. In the meantime, remember that eating healthy and exercising regularly are some easy ways you can strengthen your own swimmers.

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