Fertility Evaluation of the Swiss

Context

The past half-century has shown a general decrease in the fertility of the world’s men. Many factors could explain this decline, such as those of environmental, societal, genetic, or metabolic origins. How is Switzerland doing? What can be done to limit the population’s risks of infertility?

Project

The project is to analyze the fertility of Swiss males from genetic, microbiological, and proteomic perspectives, using sperm samples from the population. This prospective study will rely on a biobank built up over several years thanks to the Faber Foundation and the generous participation of young recruits willing to be monitored over several years; it will offer insight into the fertility of men in Switzerland and identify influencing factors if applicable. Multiple teams, specializing in epidemiology, fertility, metabolism, genetics, and toxicology are associated with the project.

project manager

Professor Serge Nef, Associate Professor, Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva