Sunscreen and cosmetics could be killing men’s sperm, according to researchers who found that only one in four males has good fertility levels.
研究人員發現，防曬霜和化妝品會“殺精”，而且只有25%的男性擁有優質精子。

Experts in reproduction said chemicals and the trappings of modern life appeared to be damaging men’s chances of having a family.
生殖專家聲稱，化學物質和現代生活中的“隱患”損害了男性的繁殖能力。

Research found that just 25 percent of young men were producing good quality sperm, and the average volume had declined by a quarter since the 1940s. The findings, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology’s annual meeting in Lisbon, prompted warnings from doctors that consumer lifestyles may have created a toxic environment for men.
研究發現，只有25%年輕男性的精子是優質的，其平均值與19世紀40年代的相比下降了25%。該研究結果在里斯本舉行的歐洲社會人類生殖與胚胎學會（European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology）年度會議上發表。醫生們提醒大家，可能是消費者生活方式損害了男性的精子質量。

Dr Niels Jorgensen, a consultant at the Department of Growth and Reproduction at Rigshospitalet, in Copenhagen, said thousands of chemicals found in bathrooms and kitchens were likely to be to blame for the changes.
尼爾斯·喬根森（Niels Jorgensen）博士是哥本哈根Rigshospitalet醫院里生殖與發育科的會診醫生。他說在廚房和浴室里發現了幾千種會損害男性精子的化學物質。

“Modern life is having an impact because we are exposed to so many chemicals and we don’t know what they do,” he said. Chemicals found in sun cream, cosmetics, frying pans, cars, foods and even in items of clothing could all increase risks to sperm, he suggested.
他說：“現代生活中充滿化學物質，我們不知其危害，這是個非常大的影響。”他還指出，防曬霜、化妝品、平底鍋、汽車、食物甚至是衣物里的成分都可能含有對精子有害的化學成分。

His 15-year study of almost 5,000 Danish men, with an average age of 19, found that 15 percent had very poor quality sperm, which meant they were likely to need some sort of fertility help.
他對接近5000名丹麥男性進行了長達15年的研究，這些男性平均年齡19歲，其中15%的男性精子質量很差。這意味著他們或多或少需要助孕。

A further 27 percent could expect a prolonged wait to father children. Just 25 percent had good quality semen, while the remainder had a lower standard. Dr Jorgensen said there was growing evidence from animal studies to suggest that many chemicals disrupt and inhibit the production of testosterone. He expressed particular concern about lotions such as sunscreen.
另有27%的男性可能需要更長的時間來備孕。只有25%的男人擁有良好的精子質量，其余的則更次。喬根森博士說，越來越多的動物研究表明，許多化學成分會破壞或者抑制睪酮的分泌。

“We are advised to protect ourselves with these sunblocks but it seems when you go to the laboratory and test some of these chemicals they can interfere with the sperm function,” he said.
他說，“大家一直都被灌輸使用防曬霜保護自己的觀念，但如果你去到實驗室，對這些化學成分進行測試，你就會發現它們影響了你的生育功能，”

“If I was to advise my own family I would say don’t use it.”
“我會告誡我的家人，不要使用防曬產品。”

Prof Richard Sharpe, of the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at Edinburgh University, said he did not believe that chemicals were behind the drop in sperm counts, but said more research was needed to establish the reason.
愛丁堡大學的生殖健康醫學理事會成員理查德·夏普（Richard Sharpe）教授不同意精子數量下降是由化學物質導致的，但他也認為其背后原因需要更多的調查研究。

Dr Chris Flower, of the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association, said: “We can state categorically that cosmetic products are required by strict European laws to be safe. The industry and the regulators are aware of concerns regarding possible endocrine effects and if such a risk was present from cosmetic products, action would already have taken place to deal with it.”
化妝品盥洗用品和香水協會（Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association）的成員克里斯·弗勞爾（Chris Flower）博士說：“我們能理直氣壯地說，化妝產品的安全性都是符合歐洲嚴格的法律。整個行業及其監管者都非常警惕化妝品對內分泌的潛在影響，而如果該影響真的存在于化妝產品中，相關應對措施應該早就出臺了。”

Vocabulary

sunscreen: 防曬霜

sperm: 精子

embryology: 胚胎學

consultant: 顧問醫生

testosterone: 睪酮，睪丸

sunblock: 防曬霜

categorically: 斬釘截鐵地

endocrine: 內分泌的

（英文來源：每日電訊報 譯者：李瑞玲SCNU 編輯：許晶晶，侯瑋萍）