From celibacy to cereal, the young people of the United States are becoming increasingly sterile.
On Thursday, the Environmental Working Group published a study showing that 80% of people in America have traces of the chemical chlormequat in their systems. Chlormequat is a popular pesticide that has been used in the production of popular branded cereals, including Cheerios. Chlormequat can also cause infertility and can delay the natural processes of puberty in young people.
Unfortunately, toxic pesticides and additives that damage reproductive qualities are quite common. Bisphenols similarly interfere with fertility and puberty. Phthalates disrupt penile development. PFCs negatively affect fertility and can cause babies to be born below the average birth weight. These chemicals can be found in various home and kitchen appliances, canned foods and drinks, and even packaged water.
Alarmingly, there has been a steady but dangerous decline in male fertility. A study by Yale University’s Department of Urology found that in the 17 years between 1999 and 2016, men aged 15-39 experienced a testosterone deficiency of 20%.
Testosterone is important for progressing hormonal processes in puberty, such as spermatogenesis. A broad analysis of studies across the world that was published by Human Reproduction Update found that in the 45 years between 1973 and 2018, sperm concentration had decreased in males by an average of 51.6% and total sperm count had decreased by 62%.
Not only are there chemical and biological concerns regarding sterility, but the cultural appeal of marriage has radically decayed as well. The Census Bureau showed in a 2020 census that the percentage of U.S. households run by married couples has fallen to 46.3%.
Even for those who consider marriage out of the question and prefer to cohabitate, child-rearing is not at all popular. A Pew Research Center poll from 2021 found that 44% of nonparents aged 18-49 said they were not likely to have children in the future. Of that group, 56% said they “just don’t want to.”
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This disinterest in the creation and propagation of the family unit is, in large part, fueled by the ideological trends of this age. In the mid-19th century, progressives such as philosopher Karl Marx wanted to abolish the family for economic and political reasons. In the mid-20th century, feminists and critical theorists began to reject the traditional roles of man and woman alongside the incentives and joys of marriage and childbirth.
America is thus increasingly becoming a nation of sterility, both physically and mentally — a nation in danger of dying off.
Parker Miller is a 2024 Washington Examiner Winter Fellow.