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Is RFK right about US sperm counts?

Do US teens have 50% lower sperm and testosterone counts than 65 year old men?

Around the world, many countries are concerned about tackling the decline in birth rates and total fertility rates.

The US is no exception.

To tackle this issue the US government announced that it would provide subsidies for Americans seeking IVF treatment. The announcement was accompanied by one suspect sounding stat from US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"Today the average teenager in this country has 50% of the sperm count, 50% of the testosterone as a 65-year-old man," he said.

We speak to Professor Allan Pacey, Professor of Andrology at the University of Manchester, and Adith Arun, a researcher at Yale University to find out whether this statement is accurate.

Producer/Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Mix: James Beard

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9 minutes

Last on

Sun 7 Dec 2025 11:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 6 Dec 2025 05:50GMT
  • Sun 7 Dec 2025 05:50GMT
  • Sun 7 Dec 2025 09:50GMT
  • Sun 7 Dec 2025 11:50GMT

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