The Brink of Male Infertility

Sperm counts are dropping worldwide. In only the last 30 years sperm counts have fallen by a third. It is a global issue and one that attracts a lot of attention but efforts to pull back from the brink of male infertility have been unsuccessful.

One of the reasons for the lack of progress in reversing the trend is that it is a very complicated issue with many contributing factors.

These include:

• Obesity
• Tobacco and alcohol
• Environment and toxins
• Electromagnetic radiation
• Genetics

Obesity is an epidemic of its own. Beginning at around the same time as the decline in male fertility it has a physiological relationship with the production of testosterone that is so vital to fertility. Being healthy and in good shape will help the chances of producing healthy sperm but the line is not so clear cut. Plenty of healthy men with healthy body weights suffer with low sperm counts.

Joining the procession of reasons to cut tobacco and alcohol consumption is the damage they can do to sperm. But still, teetotal non-smokers can conceive.

The introduction of “the pill” coincides with the decline in male fertility. This oestrogen affects the environment, and in particular the water supply. Other toxins such as the increased use of pesticides and pollution could be having an effect.

Produced by mobile phones and other devices transmitting wirelessly, electromagnetic radiation has been proven to reduce all elements of fertility from sperm health and strength to overall numbers.

In the genetic lottery some people do end up with a predisposition towards certain conditions and fertility may be one of them.

Some of the factors are frustratingly hard to control. There’s nothing an individual can do about genetics or the water supply. Health and addictions can feel almost as impossible to change. And there are always exceptions to every rule. When taken together a picture starts to emerge.

A man with a naturally lower sperm count is more at risk of infertility if another factor kicks in. Starting from a lower base and then subtracting for smoking, obesity or electromagnetic radiation could push his sperm count into infertile territory. And with declining sperm counts worldwide more and more men find themselves on that brink of infertility.

There are ways to mitigate the risk of falling below infertile levels. Looking after health and fitness is one. And rather than giving up mobile phones for fear of electromagnetic radiation technology is fighting back. WaveWall is a mobile phone case with anti-radiation technology that blocks up to 85% of radiation from reaching the body.

Paying attention to the smaller details really can keep men from the brink of infertility.

What other factors might there be for male infertility? How should scientists and doctors go about tackling them?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below!