More couples should be aware of male fertility issues. I can’t tell you how often a female client comes to see me for fertility treatments blaming herself for not becoming pregnant. After all, she thinks, men make millions of sperm; surely at least one of those sperm is healthy enough to meet the egg to produce a viable pregnancy. However, more research is surfacing about how some everyday activities could be affecting male fertility which may be reducing your chances. Smoking, poor diet, excessive caffeine intake, being overweight and high stress can all contribute to poor sperm health. Age is also a factor; men over 35 have consistently demonstrated declining sperm health. Australian doctor Ann Clark from the Family First clinic emphasises the importance of sperm health:
“Sperm DNA damage is of great concern as it is associated with impaired embryo development, a three to fourfold increased risk of miscarriage and an increase in the incidence of disease and childhood cancers in the resulting children.”
For those in New South Wales Australia, a test is now available to measure the oxidative stress in males. As part of my fertility treatments, I encourage independent consultations with each partner. Together, we go through a complete nutritional work up where diet, lifestyle and supplement advice are discussed. Contact Drew today to find out more information about how diet and lifestyle may be affecting your ability to conceive. Read the full article here
