Talks at Google

Ep427 - Shanna Swan | Count Down: The Future of the Human Race

Mar 8, 2024

Dr. Shanna Swan discusses the alarming decline in sperm counts over the past four decades, with Western men showing a 50% drop. She delves into the impact of lifestyle and chemical exposures on fertility and overall health, highlighting the broader implications for both men and women. The podcast addresses the challenges of navigating chemical safety regulations and offers practical strategies for reducing exposure to harmful chemicals during pregnancy. Additionally, it explores global perspectives on sperm count issues, revealing surprising links to pesticide exposure in rural areas.

58:43

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Shanna Swan

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Quick takeaways

Male sperm levels in Western countries have dropped by over 50% in the past 4 decades due to modern lifestyle impacts.

Dr. Shanna Swan's research explores how lifestyle choices and chemical exposures affect fertility and reproductive health in various species.

Deep dives

Dr. Shana Swan's Research on Declining Sperm Counts in Western Countries

Over the past four decades, sperm levels among men in Western countries have dropped by more than 50%. Dr. Shana Swan and her team conducted a major study examining 185 studies involving nearly 45,000 healthy men, revealing a significant decline in sperm concentration from 99 million to 47 million per milliliter. The consistent decrease of 52% in 39 years points to a concerning trend that highlights the impact of modern lifestyle on male reproductive health.

Introduction

3min

Declining Sperm Count in Western Countries

5min

Declining Fertility Rates and Reproductive Health

6min

The Impact of Endocrine Disruptors on Reproductive Development

26min

Navigating Chemical Safety Regulations

7min

Reducing Chemical Exposure and Promoting Reproductive Health

9min

Global Perspective on Sperm Count and Environmental Exposures

2min

Dr. Shanna Swan visits Google to discuss her book "Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race".

In 2017, Dr. Shanna Swan and her team of researchers completed a major study, finding that over the past four decades, sperm levels amongst men in Western countries have dropped by more than 50%. They came to this conclusion after examining 185 studies involving close to 45,000 healthy men. The result sent shockwaves around the globe—but the story didn’t end there. It turns out our sexual development is changing in broader ways, for both men and women and even other species, and that the modern world is on pace to become an infertile one.

How and why could this happen? What is hijacking our fertility and our health? Shanna’s book unpacks these questions, revealing what Swan and other researchers have learned about how both lifestyle and chemical exposures are affecting our fertility, sexual development and general health as a species.

Originally published in August of 2021.

Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.