By Michael Giere, The Bull Elephant.
There is public reluctance to discuss the downward drift in fertility rates, the plight of young men, marriage, and new household and family formation, even though these are precursors to societal stagnation or collapse.
To those observing the culture of the Western World over the last fifty years, the ongoing studies confirming alarming declines in both testosterone levels and sperm counts in men aren’t news – they’re confirmation of the behavioral changes in men, to everyone’s detriment, and declining procreation rates.
It seems masculinity is slipping away. The trend is that men are becoming less so.
There is a large body of evidence spanning four decades demonstrating that testosterone levels have been declining steadily at a rate of 1 to 2 percent a year, and that the effect of that cumulative slide is having profound effects on men.
Testosterone, of course, is the critical hormone for male development. Masculinity is assembled by testosterone flooding the adolescent body during puberty, where a boy begins building the characteristics of manhood. Muscle mass development rapidly accelerates. Sexual development and sperm production happen quickly, as well as a surge in physical strength and energy.
Other research is now pointing to what is intuitively obvious. There is a close linkage between testosterone and other critical hormones to brain development and emotional control during puberty, including aggression, for which it has long been linked.
Research suggests that testosterone plays different roles at various life stages. Some studies suggest that during puberty, testosterone is beneficial for the nervous system and controlling emotions, while later, during early adulthood, the higher levels of testosterone are no longer required and may be channeled into competitiveness or aggression.