Male Infertility Has Doubled in Canada Since the 80s
Common Causes of Infertility Among Men and What to Do About It
Disclaimer: Your healthcare provider is the best source of health and medical information. Articles written by UPGUYS are informed by peer-reviewed studies and research, as well as governmental health authorities and agencies — but they cannot replace advice from a healthcare professional. Talk to your healthcare provider about any physical or mental health concerns you might have.
Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel-turned-hit TV show The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a world in the not-so-distant future where global fertility levels have plunged to a point where the entire world-order has been destabilized.
Whether she knew it or not at the time of the book’s publishing (1985), the Western world was at the precipice of a decades-long trend of diminishing sperm count and infertility.
The rate of infertility — generally defined as an inability to conceive after a reasonable period of sexual intercourse without contraception — has doubled among Candian couples since the 1980s. Today, approximately one out of every six couples (16%) will experience infertility. And three times out of 10, men are the cause of infertility.
Causes of infertility in men
Slow or sparse swimmers
For those of you who’ve forgotten the unit on pregnancy and childbirth from your high-school biology class, a quick reminder that conception occurs when one or more sperm successfully joins-up with one or more eggs. Two common sperm-related factors contributing to fertility are motility (how well and fast sperm move) and sperm count (how many there are).
Healthy men have hundreds of millions of sperm in their testes at a given time, with a normal sperm count ranging from 50 to 200 million per milliliter. With numbers like that, you might ask yourself what the problem is at all. But conceiving is a low-percentage game. In fact, men with a low sperm-count (15 million or less per milliliter) are more likely to experience infertility, despite the seemingly large quantity of sperm.
And even if men are producing sperm within the normal range, if the little guys can’t swim, rendering them unable to reach the egg for fertilization, pregnancy will be harder to achieve. Normally, only 60 to 80 percent of sperm actively moves; sperm motility of 40 percent or less decreases your chances of successful conception.
Sexual function
Of course, no matter how many sperm you have, or how motile they are, if the man has trouble successfully performing the requisite sexual intercourse to give his sperm a chance, pregnancy is unlikely.
Sexual performance issues like erectile dysfunction (ED) and a lack of desire to have sex (low-libido) can also be contributors in an inability to conceive. Both issues can be highly complex, involving a combination of physical, emotional and psychological factors. A low sex-drive can be the result of a emotional issues like an unhealthy relationship replete with poor communication, but men experiencing ED might also be disinclined to have sex. Low testosterone — which decreases naturally with age and can be affected by stress and chronic illness — can also contribute to a general unwillingness to have intercourse.
Lifestyle factors
There are often many unknowns when it comes to health. There is no uncertainty, however, around the damaging effects of drug, alcohol and tobacco use, in addition to a poor diet and obesity. It stands to reason that these lifestyle choices can also be deleterious to fertility.
A 2018 study concluded that smoking, alcohol and drug use all serve to impair male fertility. Lead and the hundreds of other toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke have been found to make their way into seminal fluid. A meta-analysis of studies comprising nearly 30 thousand men found significant associations between alcohol consumption and the quantity, quality and motility of sperm. As for recreational drug use, there is evidence that cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and opioids can all negatively impact male fertility in different ways.
Even when men limit their intake of, or even abstain from, substances like those mentioned above, obesity can be measurably detrimental to fertility, specifically as it pertains to sperm count. Looking at data from 14 different studies, researchers from Harvard’s School of Public Health observed that obese men were 42 percent more likely to have a low sperm count than those of normal-weight, with an 81 percent likelihood of producing no sperm at all. A decrease in, or complete absence of, sperm was also observed among men who were overweight but not obese (11 percent and 39 percent respectively).
Increasing chances of infertility in men
Boosting sperm count
Though it offers no guarantees, increasing the amount of sperm in men is one way to improve fertility. Below are habits to adopt (or avoid) that may improve overall sperm count in men.
- Eat organic vegetables
- Eat fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids
- Avoid processed meat and trans fats
- Avoid plastics where possible
- Avoid anabolic steroids
- Limit high-fat dairy items
- Don’t smoke cigarettes; consume high quantities of alcohol or use recreational drugs
Boosting testosterone
An increase in testosterone can help improve sex-drive. Interventions like Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) might be deemed a necessary step in improving men’s health. There are also supplements men can take to get a little help in this area. Some supplements to consider are:
- D-Asparatic Acid Supplements
- Vitamin D
- Zinc
- Maca Root
Other factors to consider in improving fertility
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get adequate amounts of sleep
- Limit stress levels
- Keep mobile phones and other electronics away from genitals
- Ask your doctor about erectile dysfunction medication
Solving a complex and important problem
An inability to conceive can be frustrating for both partners; it can also lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment. The factors listed in the article don’t include all the various medical causes that can impact fertility, like infection, chronic illness, and trauma to male genitalia. Not to mention more advanced medical interventions like in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination, and other surgeries. No article can replace the advice and support from a medical professional. Your doctor is always the best resource for addressing medical issues, including infertility.
