Eva Herzigova Talks Long Haul COVID in Telegraph Luxury UK September

Eva Herzigova Covers Telegraph Luxury UK September by Alvaro Beamud Cortes AOC Fashion

Czech-Italian supermodel Eva Herzigova covers the September 2021 issue of Telegraph Luxury UK. Aline De Beauclaire styles Eva, now 48, in images by Alvaro Beamud Cortes [IG]. / Hair by Alessandro Squarza; makeup by Miriam Langellotti

The mother of three sons — George, 14, Philipe, 10, and Edward, eight, with partner Gregorio Marsiaj — shares with Telegraph Luxury readers that she has been recovering from “debilitating” long COVID-19 since December.

Herzigova said: “It was real; it was serious. Thank God we all had it together, so I had support from my husband and kids. We could cuddle and stay in our pajamas for a month. I had symptoms forever, like forever.”

“It’s very debilitating when you realize how much energy you actually need to speak. It's hard when you just can't manage. This virus has a far-reaching effect,” Herzigova continues.

Declining Male Fertility and Growing Concern Over Impact of Environmental Toxins

Declining Male Fertility and Growing Concern Over Impact of Environmental Toxins AOC Fashion

Male Fertility Decline

Infertility is defined as a couple’s inability to get pregnant for one year despite regular intercourse. When this is the case, doctors evaluate both partners to determine why.

For men, the cornerstone of the fertility evaluation is semen analysis, and there are a number of ways to assess sperm. Sperm count – the total number of sperm a man produces – and sperm concentration – number of sperm per milliliter of semen – are common measures, but they aren’t the best predictors of fertility. A more accurate measure looks at the total motile sperm count, which evaluates the fraction of sperm that are able to swim and move.

A wide range of factors – from obesity to hormonal imbalances to genetic diseases – can affect fertility. For many men, there are treatments that can help. But starting in the 1990s, researchers noticed a concerning trend. Even when controlling for many of the known risk factors, male fertility appeared to have been declining for decades.

In 1992, a study found a global 50% decline in sperm counts in men over the previous 60 years. Multiple studies over subsequent years confirmed that initial finding, including a 2017 paper showing a 50% to 60% decline in sperm concentration between 1973 and 2011 in men from around the world.

These studies, though important, focused on sperm concentration or total sperm count. So in 2019, a team of researchers decided to focus on the more powerful total motile sperm count. They found that the proportion of men with a normal total motile sperm count had declined by approximately 10% over the previous 16 years.

The science is consistent: Men today produce fewer sperm than in the past, and the sperm are less healthy. The question, then, is what could be causing this decline in fertility.