It seems infertility amongst Punjabi men is in crisis with a large of proportion having a lower sperm count than other parts of India. Medical practitioners also blame the consumption of alcohol as the major factor.

The information came from the World Health Organisation (WHO) committee for semen analysis which appears to show that worldwide there has been a dramatic drop in sperm count from an average of 60 million 30 years ago to just 15 million today. But it seems the Punjab is more severely affected than other parts of India.

A member of the WHO committee, BS Shah told reporters: “Alcohol is toxic to sperms and reduces both count and quality.”

Young Punjabi men also appear to be at greatest risk of infertility, while in general, in the city of Ludhiana, 17% have been found infertile, most of whom are in the 30s.

Dr. Umesh Jindal, an expert in infertility in Punjab said: “Infertility destroys peace of mind, plays havoc with relationships and destabilizes households. There is a strong need for a campaign on the need to spread awareness on how alcohol consumption is disrupting sexual function, interpersonal relationships.

“We get so many cases from Punjab, where the men are into heavy drinking and do not seek treatment because they cannot or do not want to quit drinking. Also, accepting that this is a leading cause for their failure to have children is also an issue.”