Men’s Health Awareness Month: Men’s Health is Crucial to Their Fertility
Men’s Health Awareness Month is observed worldwide to raise awareness of preventable men’s health problems and to encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
It gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to value and care for their health and to seek regular medical advice. The interest is encouraging, with thousands of awareness activities taking place each year around the globe.
At Medfem Fertility Clinic, our team wholeheartedly participates in Men’s Health Awareness Month, and in this article we raise awareness of the importance of men’s health and well-being when it comes to their fertility, and provide some excellent health tips which any man can implement for good health, and that will boost fertility as well.
One serious health condition that increasing numbers of men face in today’s modern world is infertility. An estimated one in every six couples In South Africa today have fertility challenges, and in almost half of the couples who seek fertility treatment, the infertility is entirely or partly due to a health or medical issue in the male partner.
Infertility itself is a disease that results in the abnormal functioning of the male reproductive system and can significantly impact a man’s health and well-being. Sadly, it is seldom talked about.
For this reason, few people realise just how many men are affected by infertility; even fewer grasp the enormous impact a man’s health has on his fertility; and many do not understand that infertility is itself a health issue that can often be caused by poor health, medical conditions and even medical treatments.
Poor lifestyle choices and men’s fertility
In the simplest terms, male fertility requires healthy sperm. Poor lifestyle choices and the lifestyle diseases that result from it negatively affect your overall health and, therefore, compromise your fertility as well.
Environmental and lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol intake and obesity are known to negatively affect fertility. In addition, exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins can be directly toxic to sperm, resulting in decreased numbers and poor quality, leading to infertility.
Furthermore, a large group of men seeking fertility treatment are also dealing with lifestyle diseases, notably high insulin levels, thyroid problems and autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune diseases play a significant role in the quality of a man’s sperm and, as a result, the quality of embryos (eggs fertilised with sperm). Unfortunately, large numbers of men suffer from autoimmune diseases such as hyperinsulinemia and hyperprolactinemia, which will certainly negatively impact the quality of their sperm.
These lifestyle diseases must be treated before any fertility treatment is provided, and men who are struggling with infertility are guided to take care of their health through managing their diets and their lifestyle choices, to ensure the highest chance of conception.
Our Medfem team provides some excellent advice in this respect below – read on…
Medical conditions affecting male fertility
Many men also have medical conditions that cause infertility. These could include, for example, blocks in the testes or the ducts leading out from the testes related to infection, or problems with the production of sperm. There could be problems with sexual activity or even genetic problems.
Hormonal disorders could result in abnormalities in hormones produced by the pituitary gland, hypothalamus and testicles.
Testicular failure to produce sperm can be due to varicoceles or medical treatments that impair sperm-producing cells.
Conditions or situations that cause abnormal sperm function and quality also negatively affect fertility, including abnormal shape (morphology) and movement (motility) of the sperm. The use of anabolic steroids, for example, can cause abnormal semen parameters such sperm count and shape.
All of these medical conditions, as well as the vast majority of other causes of infertility, can be treated medically.
Male fertility can also be harmed by the surgical removal of the testicles due to cancer or by chemotherapy or radiation that damages sperm quantity, quality and DNA, and can cause azoospermia. In these cases, fertility preservation may be an option: freezing sperm before undergoing such medical treatments will allow the sperm to be used in future to achieve pregnancy.
Recommended lifestyle changes
Lifestyle diseases are driven by poor lifestyle choices around diet, exercise, stress, smoking and alcohol consumption.
Our expert team at Medfem recommends a few simple healthy lifestyle changes which you can start making immediately to boost fertility.
* Eliminate smoking and alcohol
Smoking has major adverse effects on both sperm and egg quality. Alcohol also reduces fertility in both partners.
* Improve nutrition
Diet plays a critical role. Whether one or both partners are overweight or not, excessive carbs in the diet is problematic.
A balanced diet could help to boost fertility and the chances of a healthy baby. A balanced diet should provide all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids your body needs for optimum health, but it is not always possible given today’s lifestyles.
Fortunately, there are also supplements available over-the-counter that are recommended by fertility experts for their role in boosting fertility, as they contain certain vitamins, minerals, herbs or other amino acids. Medfem recommends StaminoGro and Comega Vite.
* Manage stress
Another important factor in infertility is stress. For 21 years, Medfem has also been at the forefront of researching and managing the impact of stress on fertility. Recent literature and medical studies have shown that the reduction of stress can account for higher pregnancy rates. A good starting point is to determine if you or your partner has time urgency perfectionism (TUP) stress. This can be assessed free of charge on the following website www.tups.co. If you are suffering from TUP stress, you can follow the TUP stress management program online or at Medfem Fertility Clinic.
Following the lifestyle recommendations above – including avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs; managing time urgency perfectionism (TUP) stress; eating a balanced diet; and the daily intake of StaminoGro and/or Comega Vite will improve your general health and reduce the chances of lifestyle diseases. It will also boost your fertility, and assist with the effectiveness of any medical fertility treatments that you may need.
Get expert medical assistance
Male infertility can definitely be treated – and with excellent results. Due to great advances in medical technology, there are a range of treatments, procedures and options for male infertility, including advanced technologies that ensure even men who were previously considered completely sterile have an excellent chance to have their own biological children.
However, identifying the exact cause of your male infertility challenge and selecting the right treatment for it, can only be achieved through a consultation with a fertility expert.
At Medfem, it is our joy and commitment to provide dads-to-be who are facing infertility with a positive outcome to their fertility journey, helping them to achieve their family dream by providing world-class fertility for everyone delivered with empathy and caring to ensure a positive fertility journey.
We are a team of medical professionals, who have the experience, knowledge and desire to provide you with the best chance of a successful outcome at the end of your treatment.
If you would like to meet one of our fertility specialists, simply click here to book an initial consultation or contact us telephonically on +27 (11) 463 2244.
We look forward to meeting you!