Stress from rising population numbers may cause a decline in human
fertility

Date:
August 24, 2021
Source:
The Endocrine Society
Summary:
A predicted population drop at the end of the century could be
explained by stress from meaningless social interactions.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A predicted population drop at the end of the century could be explained
by stress from meaningless social interactions, according to a review
article published in the Endocrine Society's journal, Endocrinology.


========================================================================== Researchers predict a peak in population numbers in 2064 followed by a
50% drop by the end of the century from changes in human reproductive
behavior and function. There has been a 50% decrease in sperm counts
over the last 50 years.

People are stressed out from more frequent but lower quality social interactions, and stress can suppress sperm count, ovulation and sexual activity.

"Rising population numbers contribute to less meaningful social
interactions, social withdrawal and chronic stress, which subsequently suppresses reproduction," said the manuscript's author Alexander
Suvorov, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst,
Mass. "Changes in reproductive behavior that contribute to the population
drop include more young couples choosing to be 'child-free,' people having fewer children and couples waiting longer to start families." Suvorov
found a connection between population numbers, stress and reproduction
by reviewing several studies and asking the following questions:
* Why do people refuse to have children when access to all vital
resources
is becoming better than humankind ever had?
* Why has there been a 50% decrease in sperm counts over the last
50 years? * Why are different forms of social withdrawal on rise?
He hypothesized declining reproduction may be due to stress from lower
quality social interactions and changes in reproductive behavior such
an increase in "child-free" couples and delayed parenthood.

"Numerous wildlife and laboratory studies demonstrated that population
peaks are always followed by increased stress and suppressed
reproduction," said Suvorov. "This review provides evidence from
multiple disciplines that the same mechanisms previously observed in
wildlife species may work in humans as well." The manuscript received
no external funding.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by The_Endocrine_Society. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alexander Suvorov. Population Numbers and Reproductive Health.

Endocrinology, 2021; DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab154 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210824104102.htm

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