Is human fecundity changing? A discussion of research and data gaps precluding us from having an answer

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is human fecundity changing?

T2 - A discussion of research and data gaps precluding us from having an answer

AU - Smarr, Melissa M

AU - Sapra, Katherine J

AU - Gemmill, Alison

AU - Kahn, Linda G

AU - Wise, Lauren A

AU - Lynch, Courtney D

AU - Factor-Litvak, Pam

AU - Mumford, Sunni L

AU - Skakkebaek, Niels E

AU - Slama, Rémy

AU - Lobdell, Danelle T

AU - Stanford, Joseph B

AU - Jensen, Tina Kold

AU - Boyle, Elizabeth Heger

AU - Eisenberg, Michael L

AU - Turek, Paul J

AU - Sundaram, Rajeshwari

AU - Thoma, Marie E

AU - Buck Louis, Germaine M

N1 - Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

PY - 2017/3/1

Y1 - 2017/3/1

N2 - Fecundity, the biologic capacity to reproduce, is essential for the health of individuals and is, therefore, fundamental for understanding human health at the population level. Given the absence of a population (bio)marker, fecundity is assessed indirectly by various individual-based (e.g. semen quality, ovulation) or couple-based (e.g. time-to-pregnancy) endpoints. Population monitoring of fecundity is challenging, and often defaults to relying on rates of births (fertility) or adverse outcomes such as genitourinary malformations and reproductive site cancers. In light of reported declines in semen quality and fertility rates in some global regions among other changes, the question as to whether human fecundity is changing needs investigation. We review existing data and novel methodological approaches aimed at answering this question from a transdisciplinary perspective. The existing literature is insufficient for answering this question; we provide an overview of currently available resources and novel methods suitable for delineating temporal patterns in human fecundity in future research.

AB - Fecundity, the biologic capacity to reproduce, is essential for the health of individuals and is, therefore, fundamental for understanding human health at the population level. Given the absence of a population (bio)marker, fecundity is assessed indirectly by various individual-based (e.g. semen quality, ovulation) or couple-based (e.g. time-to-pregnancy) endpoints. Population monitoring of fecundity is challenging, and often defaults to relying on rates of births (fertility) or adverse outcomes such as genitourinary malformations and reproductive site cancers. In light of reported declines in semen quality and fertility rates in some global regions among other changes, the question as to whether human fecundity is changing needs investigation. We review existing data and novel methodological approaches aimed at answering this question from a transdisciplinary perspective. The existing literature is insufficient for answering this question; we provide an overview of currently available resources and novel methods suitable for delineating temporal patterns in human fecundity in future research.

KW - Birth Rate

KW - Female

KW - Fertility/physiology

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Pregnancy

KW - Reproduction/physiology

KW - Time-to-Pregnancy

U2 - 10.1093/humrep/dew361

DO - 10.1093/humrep/dew361

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 28137753

SN - 0268-1161

VL - 32

SP - 499

EP - 504

JO - Human Reproduction

JF - Human Reproduction

IS - 3

ER -