Introduction to Male Fertility
Although a man’s involvement in the baby-making process is shorter than a woman’s, men still have essential roles in natural pregnancies. The man’s health at the time of the conception also has long-lasting consequences for his offspring. Despite women tending to get most of the attention, research indicates that issues with fertility are evenly spread between the sexes. Male issues are actually the cause of about a third of couple infertility, and combined couple issues is another third. The situation in the USA is that about 6% of 15 to 50 year-old men are thought to be infertile.(i)
From puberty the testes start to produce sperm in a process that takes 80 to 90 days. Semen is the specially designed solution that protects sperm and carries them on their journey. When they reach the egg at least 40 sperm must work together to break down the ‘shell’ that surrounds it. After the shell is negotiated a single successful sperm is able to penetrate the egg and fertilize it.
A man’s ejaculate should contain around 200 million sperm, but very few of them will ever reach an egg. In fact semen samples are “normal” when just 5% of the sperm are normal shape, and 60% are alive! This is why men need to produce so many, and why sperm numbers are a good fertility indicator.
However sperm numbers aren’t the whole story:
- Just one sperm must fuse with the inner membrane of the egg and deposit it’s DNA inside.
- The DNA of the egg and sperm must fuse and form 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs.
- This cell with the normal amount of DNA needs to be able to replicate exactly to form a healthy pregnancy.
A sperm cell fertilizing an egg cell
Sections in Male Fertility
Male reproductive organs and sperm explain the where and how of sperm production. It’s pretty useful when discussing fertility with healthcare professionals.
Male fertility in time discusses how male fertility has changed in the last century.
Semen sampling is the standard check for men, and uses the WHO references. Two semen samples help explain how results can indicate specific problems with the man.
Additional semen tests go beyond the standard semen test to see if a man’s sperm can create healthy pregnancies. These tests are recommended after repeated miscarriages, certain sperm shapes appear and with unfertilized eggs in IVF.
Causes of male infertility covers the factors currently known to reduce how fertile a man can be, including age and drugs. Another cause of poor sperm quality is oxidative stress which can easily be overlooked.
Treating male fertility and boosting male fertility explain the latest research on improving the chances of a man becoming a father. Between them they cover Western medicine, complementary medicine and nutritional approaches. .
For personalized advice on how to raise male fertility complete the morefertile® male fertility analysis form.
(i) Purvis K and Christiansen E: Male infertility: Current concepts. Annals Med 24:259-72, 1992
