Male Infertility???

yeah, it’s a thing!

 Male fertility has dropped 60% in the last 40 years. Sixty! Percent! And yet with all the medical advances that we have, there is a dearth of information about male fertility issues, which is a darn shame.

Studies show that in cases of infertility, about 1/3 are due to male dominant issues. I had a OBGYN say that there may be nore of a docus on women’s fertility because there are more things that can go wrong. But let’s see what needs to happen in order for a man to be successful.

(FYI, this post might get a bit TMI, so if you’re squeamish about words like sperm and testicles, then you should probably akip this post)

First, a man must produce healthy sperm.
Second, the sperm has to be carried into the semen.
Third, there needs to be a good concentration of sperm to semen (around 14-16 million per mL of semen is normal).
Fourth, the sperm has to be able to move.

Seems to me like there are a lot of things that can go wrong with that! Let’s look at just a few.

Physical abnormalities can cause trouble in creation and movement of sperm.

Issues with hormones can mess things up too.

Certain medicines have side effects that are detrimental (as we found out).

Environement and lifestyle also play an important role in male fertility.

Now, I am not a doctor. I’m not going to suggest fixes or cures for male infertility. Basically I’ve read a few articles and some studies. But having dealt firsthand with this, I will offer just a couple of suggestions.

FIND A DOCTOR who will acknowledge that male infertility is a POSSIBILITY and is very common! We were lucky that our fertility clinic has a male specialist on staff. However I remember our first brush with the possibility and that terrible urologist who didn’t bother to look at the numbers. If your doctor isn’t mentioning male issues, advocate for yourself. Being it up at your appointment.

It is also good to remember that it is likely your partner also really wants children. That’s why he’s going through this with you! And Godly men, who want to bring children into the world, it breaks their hearts when they can’t. I look at my sweet husband, who would be such a good dad, and it hirta that I can’t do anything to help him except be a good companion and wife. Assure him constantly that his physical inabilities don’t make him less of a man or less of a husband. Encourage him to be open woth his feelings!

And as always, TALK to other people about fertility!! Make opportunities for conversation and be as open and honest as you can.



Some Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jul/25/sperm-counts-among-western-men-have-halved-in-last-40-years-study

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20374773