A recent letter by Peter Foreshaw Brookes challenges the notion that rising biological infertility is driving global fertility declines. He argues that economic conditions and smartphone usage, rather than pollution-related damage, are more likely causes.
Biological infertility not to blame
Brookes, director of The Centre for Family and Education, responds to a study suggesting toxins and climate harms reduce fertility. He notes that a meta-analysis found sperm counts increased in the US in recent years, and time to pregnancy (TTP) has been stable or only slightly increased. In the US, TTP for women under 30 remained stable between 2002 and 2017, increasing only 4% for women who already had a child. In developed countries, infertility rates have stayed the same or decreased.
Alternative explanations
Brookes points out that fertility rates in the western world peaked around 2007-10 and have declined since. He suggests focusing on economic conditions and smartphone usage, which may affect coupling, as more plausible explanations for the fertility bust.
