Men behind one third of infertility cases

Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

The inability to conceive a child is often perceived as a female problem. But at least 30 per cent of infertility cases can be attributed to male-factor infertility. Worryingly, across the western world sperm counts have declined by almost 60 per cent in less than 40 years.

Such a significant decline in male reproductive health over a relatively short period suggests there is something in the way we live now that makes it much harder for men to become fathers than a generation ago.

Chemicals and environmental pesticides are not helping nor is smoking, obesity or sedentary lifestyles.

According to Dr Hans Arce, Medical Director of Repromed, a fertility specialist clinic in Galway, male fertility is a taboo subject.

He said there is little conversation among men around sperm counts or male reproductive health in general. It is all tends to focus on women.

“Men often don’t want to talk about something so personal, worried about their male ego and heaping too much emotional pressure on themselves with huge feelings of shame,” he explains.

“But it is important to discuss fertility and break down the taboo surrounding it. It is no one’s fault, it is just something that is happening and should be tackled head-on with open conversations.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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