States with the highest – and lowest – sperm counts REVEALED

Men in the western US have the strongest swimmers, while men in that region have the highest sperm count.

Fertility company Legacy analyzed more than 20,000 semen samples from across the country and assessed their quality.

A normal sperm count is estimated at between 40 million and 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Amounts below that pose serious infertility risks for men.

The results showed that men in Wyoming had the highest quality sperm, with 56.8 million sperm per 1 ml of semen tested.

This was followed by Idaho, with an average sperm count of 55.6 million per ml of semen, and Montana, with 54.4 million.

Researchers couldn’t say for sure why these states topped the list, but research has shown that there are many factors that influence sperm count, including diet, environment and lifestyle.

Men who live there may be able to thank the cooler temperatures, healthier hearts and lower levels of toxic pollutants for their sperm-packed semen.

Rounding out the top five for highest sperm count were Iowa (51.3 million sperm per 1 ml of semen) and Washington, DC (49.1 million).

According to the Legacy Report, sperm counts worldwide have fallen dramatically, with a 50 percent drop in the past fifty years.

With the world facing a ‘sperm crisis’ by 2045, scientists increasingly believe that declining healthy sperm may be linked to increasing exposure to toxic chemicals such as PFAS and perennial chemicals that disrupt body processes and have been linked to cancer and infertility.

Sperm are the male reproductive cells that make up semen a fluid produced when semen mixes with other fluids from a man’s prostate and seminal vesicles during sexual arousal.

Although a shortage of sperm can make it more difficult to impregnate a partner, just because a man has a high sperm count does not mean that the sperm is of healthier quality.

At the bottom of the list: Mississippi had the lowest sperm count, with only 25.7 million sperm per 1 ml of semen.

The state was followed by South Carolina (28.9 million), Oklahoma (29.1 million), North Dakota (30.2 million) and Delaware (30.7 million).

Of the factors that influence sperm count, obesity is believed to be one of the biggest, with men with higher body mass indexes having lower rates of babymakers.

Mississippi has the fourth highest obesity rate in the country and Delaware has the eighth highest rate.

Another factor: alcohol.

A study of more than 1,200 Danish men found that those who drank five servings of alcohol per week – about three beers or three glasses of wine – had lower sperm counts and sperm quality than men who did not drink alcohol.

But unexpectedly, the percentage of binge drinkers in Wyoming is slightly above the national average of 17 percent, while the percentage in Mississippi is lower, according to the CDC.

Another factor that can affect sperm count is heart health. Although the connection is not clear, studies have shown that having a bad heart can affect the amount of sperm in semen – and vice versa.

One theory about this connection is that men who are generally unhealthy are more likely to have heart problems and lower sperm counts.

And a previous analysis of heart health in each state shows a connection.

In a separate Forbes analysis In terms of heart health by state, Mississippi ranked 49th among all 50 states for residents with the worst heart health, and Oklahoma ranked 43rd.

Wyoming, Montana and Idaho all ranked in the top 20 states at 19, 13 and 11 respectively.

Physical activity and leading a generally healthy lifestyle also affect sperm count. In the Forbes analysis, Mississippi had the lowest percentage of residents who exercised, while Montana had the fifth largest percentage of residents who exercised.

The Legacy researchers also said that weather can affect sperm counts and air quality, and that rising temperatures are associated with poor sperm health.

That’s why it makes sense, researchers say, that several of the nation’s hottest states rank in the bottom 10 for sperm production, while cooler states rank higher — Wyoming has the fourth lowest average temperature in the US.

A March 2024 analysis of 33,000 semen samples from men produced during warm weather found that sperm concentrations were lower, and an April 2024 study found that men exposed to temperatures above 85.6 degrees Fahrenheit, had a 40 percent higher risk of low temperatures. sperm count.

Among states with the lowest sperm counts, South Carolina had the seventh highest summer temperature last year, with an average of 91.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oklahoma had the sixth warmest weather, with an average of 94 degrees, according to a analysis by U.S. News & World Report.

Mississippi came in fifth for hottest summer temperatures in 2023 with 91 degrees.

However, when it comes to cooler temperatures, Idaho and Montana came in sixth and fourth respectively, with an average 2023 weather of 44 degrees.

According to US News, Wyoming had the third coldest temperature at 42 degrees Fahrenheit analysis.

Additionally, the Legacy rankings said states with lower air quality also ranked lower in sperm production — and Oklahoma was too arranged 42nd for worst air quality.

Experts believe that a major contributor to declining sperm counts is toxic chemicals known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the air, food, water, soil and common products that Americans use every day.

Wyoming ranks in the top five states in the U.S. for low levels of industrial toxins, compared to Mississippi, which ranks 36th, and South Carolina at 39th.

A 2020 study linked air pollution to lower sperm count and sperm concentration and motility, and a 2021 study of more than 10,000 couples found that those in the top quartile of air pollution exposure had nearly double the risk of infertility compared to couples in the lowest quartile.

Tobacco is also a sperm killer, and one study found that smokers have 13 to 17 percent lower sperm density than men who don’t smoke tobacco.

Of the states with the highest number of smokers, Mississippi ranks sixth.

Legacy also presented nature as a sperm enhancer. In a first of its kind, a 2021 study of 9,000 men found that those who were more exposed to nature had significantly higher semen volume, with higher sperm counts and better overall sperm quality.

Khaled Kteily, CEO of Legacy, said of the fertility company’s analysis: ‘Based on Legacy’s data, our ranking of the best and worst states for sperm health underlines the fact that sperm quality cannot be taken for granted – it can really vary depending on where you live and how healthy you are.

‘The environment will continue to influence sperm, and sperm health naturally declines with age. That’s why it’s time to save our sperm. Every man should have his sperm tested and consider freezing his youngest, healthiest sperm for the future.”