You know, when it comes to things like this, it's always "faster than we thought." Yet the people who speak up about it are labeled as "alarmists."
SMH
Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
921–930 of 1001 posts
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#922Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is not the first time I have seen a question like this asked on HN. It's generally really controversial to ask it because trans individuals are fighting for recognition, rights and humane treatment at the most basic level, so it generally gets taken as a means to be dismissive and attack their cause rather than helpful and suggesting a possible alternative path for at least some trans individuals. The world has…
If it's controversial why should it be relegated to back pages? The front page is the perfect place for such communication, the lack of truly social discourse and individualistic isolation is what creates such reactionary tension while trying to reconcile all the distortions in the zeitgeist of the world. I think mental stressors of such social failure is whats leading to such childish ideas that adults seem to preoc…
If it's controversial why should it be relegated to back pages?
I didn't suggest it should be.
I will note that so far I have two replies, both nominally "arguing against" my supposed "position" here. Both strike me as a wild misinterpretation of what I have said.
And that's exactly why tossing out questions or comments on a front page post on a large forum can be problematic.
Which isn't to say one should never do such. But it's frequently not exactly gratifying.
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#923Earlier quoted context omitted.
My partner and I recently embarked on a journey to replace as many products in our lives that contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC's) as we could. It's _really_ hard. You have to carefully read product labels, 99.9% of products don't contain any info about EDC's, you have to specially seek out ones that are labeled as phthalate-free, BPA-free, etc. Biggest offenders are in the kitchen and bathroom. Shampoo, co…
Good grief, just trying to find products that are unscented is a nightmare. So many say "unscented" on the front, then have "parfum" or something in the ingredients.
"Unscented" is basically a lie. Most things that are "unscented" actually have masking agents to cover the scent of the product. You want to look for things that have "no added scent" on the label.
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#924Earlier quoted context omitted.
I tend to respectfully disagree. Same question is of my interest as well and I find local community to be well openminded compared to other online communities where raising this kind of question will be widely perceived as offence to vocal trans community. That's one of many spaces where we can openly bring it up and respectfully discuss. It's quite difficult to explore the topic on your own without hearing other peo…
I have no idea what you are disagreeing with. Could you clarify what exactly you are arguing against in what I have said?
You suggest to explore the topic more quietly, which is something I am opposed to.
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#925Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have no idea what you are disagreeing with. Could you clarify what exactly you are arguing against in what I have said?
You suggest to explore the topic more quietly, which is something I am opposed to.
You are opposed to people reading whatever they so desire privately, talking to people in smaller groups where controversy has a tendency to be less problematic and where one may have more hope of being understood and engaged on the points one intended to make instead of on points other people imagined you made that never crossed your mind, asking questions on HN under circumstances where there is less likelihood of strong pushback merely for asking?
Why?
In my experience, that's how one typically finds good info and meaningful feedback and does so with less pain than can be involved in standing on a big stage in front of everyone with a bullhorn and blaring their "controversial" supposed "position" to the world, knowing the world will scream back, often without making any real effort to understand what was actually said -- or so it can feel on the receiving end.
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#926Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yea, I just laugh when my friends have all this nice stuff then they start having kids. I have a modest house with basic stuff. Walls were drawn all over, I just paint them. Furniture has paint, markers, things get spilt on it. Daughter thought it was cool to use permanent marker from a drawer on hardwood floors. Didn't come off, will probably have to resurface eventually, but literally who cares. Who am I trying imp…
I would like to share that plain original Windex will take permanent marker out of many upholstery fabrics (and some carpets) if applied with a scrub brush and plenty of elbow grease, followed by a washcloth. I would try it on the floors, too, possibly also a Magic Eraser sponge.
FYI, plain Windex contains ingredients (EGE) linked to reproductive (testicular) and developmental toxicity:
https://www.ecetoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ECETOC-TR-...
https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Windex.html
https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/2-Butoxyethanol.h...
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#927Earlier quoted context omitted.
So you create a product, put it out and have it do unimaginable damage, then pay for the health and environmental damage you did Or not. How often have companies actually had to pay for anything like the actual cost of the damage they have caused to the environment? Are there any cases when they have had to? They sometimes have to compensate a few of the humans involved, but never anything more general than that, and…
Oh, I know. Compensation is the best case scenario. Much more likely is that the entity ultimately responsible doesn't even exist by the time the issue is discovered. I don't know what the answer is here either. The EU is getting much more aggressive about this, but it's already getting to the point that to bring a new product to market strictly within the law essentially costs infinite dollars. Aviation still uses l…
People become despondent because they effectively can't do anything practical, so to live their life they ignore it. It's the same thing with privacy.
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#928One thing that I'm genuinely curious about that I've never heard addressed is whether the large increase of people identifying as trans(trans women in particular) could be related to the same factors that are causing lowered sperm counts and testosterone in men. There are massive amounts of compounds in our environment that are endocrine disrupters or mimic sex hormones like estrogen. Like maybe many persons assumed…
> the large increase of people identifying as trans(trans women in particular) Well, that's not quite accurate. (a) there isn't a large increase of trans people, historically speaking, just folks being more open and honest about their status recently, since it's become marginally less punished in a few specific places, than it has been prior, and (b) in recent years, trans men or transmasc folks are the largest group…
> You'd expect to see a sharp increase in cis men presenting with ED and gynecomastia and such.
It does feel like I've seen more men with more than just regular moobs, who aren't necessarily otherwise severely obese. The trans women I know have less shapely breasts even though they're deliberately taking hormones, and it's a bit bizarre. Not a huge amount, but enough to notice. I'd be willing to believe also that there's a contingent of those that are trans men too, but I just mean it's actually more bizarre to see someone who is otherwise just a cis man with like C or D cups
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#929Earlier quoted context omitted.
No. Trans people have existed for quite a long time. It just happens that the "West" has become more accepting of them, and since it is the "West" that gets most of the media attention it's looking like a new thing with them coming out.
These things are not mutually exclusive. I don't see any evidence that would justify a high degree of confidence that the person you're replying to is wrong.
The extraordinary claim is the top comment: that trans people are exploding in count vs it being a repressed demographic.
It is the obligation of THAT person to provide evidence, since they are making the claim that it is some "evil toxin in the environment".
Re: Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought
#930The thesis of the book 'Countdown' is that this is largely due to widespread plastic and other endocrine disrupting chemicals. I believe this is one of the most important risks to humanity, after climate change, and global war. So far, I've taken some lifestyle changes to combat this: 1) Threw out all of my teflon cooking pans 2) Refuse to consume food in heated plastics 3) Throw out teabags (they have plastics). Use…
> Will soon be throwing out liquid body wash and moisturizers, and replace with simpler oils What are you planning on doing? I stopped using the Dr Bronner's liquid soap and switched to the their bar soap. For a while I was using the same soap for my hair and then I was doing a "rinse" (apple cider vinegar + some oils) but I got lazy and stopped. I might pick that back up again. https://info.drbronner.com/all-one-blo…
I've been using Aleppo Soap for about two years now. It's a bar soap that's a mix of simply olive oil, laurel oil and soda. It's actually worked wonders for skin problems on my back as well, so I swear by it now. The smell of laurel oil is a bit weird at first but I've grown to really like it. Alternative would be Castile Soap which is the same but without the laurel oil.