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

Melissa M Smarr; Katherine J Sapra; Alison Gemmill; Linda G Kahn; Lauren A Wise; Courtney D Lynch; Pam Factor-Litvak; Sunni L Mumford; Niels E Skakkebaek; Rémy Slama; Danelle T Lobdell; Joseph B Stanford; Tina Kold Jensen; Elizabeth Heger Boyle; Michael L Eisenberg; Paul J Turek; Rajeshwari Sundaram; Marie E Thoma; Germaine M Buck Louis

doi:10.1093/humrep/dew361

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

Melissa M Smarr, Katherine J Sapra, Alison Gemmill, Linda G Kahn, Lauren A Wise, Courtney D Lynch, Pam Factor-Litvak, Sunni L Mumford, Niels E Skakkebaek, Rémy Slama, Danelle T Lobdell, Joseph B Stanford, Tina Kold Jensen, Elizabeth Heger Boyle, Michael L Eisenberg, Paul J Turek, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Marie E Thoma, Germaine M Buck Louis

Department of Clinical Medicine

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Human Reproduction
Volume	32
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	499-504
ISSN	0268-1161
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew361
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2017

Keywords

Birth Rate
Female
Fertility/physiology
Humans
Male
Pregnancy
Reproduction/physiology
Time-to-Pregnancy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1093/humrep/dew361

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Cite this

Smarr, M. M., Sapra, K. J., Gemmill, A., Kahn, L. G., Wise, L. A., Lynch, C. D., Factor-Litvak, P., Mumford, S. L., Skakkebaek, N. E., Slama, R., Lobdell, D. T., Stanford, J. B., Jensen, T. K., Boyle, E. H., Eisenberg, M. L., Turek, P. J., Sundaram, R., Thoma, M. E., & Buck Louis, G. M. (2017). Is human fecundity changing? A discussion of research and data gaps precluding us from having an answer. Human Reproduction, 32(3), 499-504. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew361

Smarr, MM, Sapra, KJ, Gemmill, A, Kahn, LG, Wise, LA, Lynch, CD, Factor-Litvak, P, Mumford, SL, Skakkebaek, NE, Slama, R, Lobdell, DT, Stanford, JB, Jensen, TK, Boyle, EH, Eisenberg, ML, Turek, PJ, Sundaram, R, Thoma, ME & Buck Louis, GM 2017, 'Is human fecundity changing? A discussion of research and data gaps precluding us from having an answer', Human Reproduction, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 499-504. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew361

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AU - Wise, Lauren A

AU - Lynch, Courtney D

AU - Factor-Litvak, Pam

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AU - Lobdell, Danelle T

AU - Stanford, Joseph B

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