Archive for the ‘Male Infertility’ Category
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
It’s common for couples who have been trying to conceive without success to immediately think the reason for infertility stems from the female. Before you jump to any conclusions and before you’ve gone through testing and received treatment recommendations from a board qualified reproductive endocrinologist consider the following:
According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, one-third of infertility cases are female factor infertility, one-third are male factor, and the remaining third involve problems on both sides, or unexplained causes.
A few common causes of male infertility:
Male infertility accounts for approximately 40% of the 2.3 million diagnosed infertility cases in the United States. For this reason, when a couple is experiencing difficulty in achieving pregnancy, a complete semen analysis is a relatively simple and inexpensive test that should be done in the beginning phase of testing.
The semen analysis may even be done without a consultation. Treatments for male infertility depend on the specific cause of the infertility and have included surgery, medical treatment and microscopic insemination techniques.
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Tags: Achieving Pregnancy, American Society Of Reproductive Medicine, Causes Of Male Infertility, Cigarette Smoking, Excessive Alcohol Consumption, Excessive Exercise, Excessive Stress, Fall Newsletter, Female Factor Infertility, female infertility, Inexpensive Test, Infertility, Infertility Accounts, Infertility Cases, Insemination, Low Sperm Count, Male Hormones, Semen Analysis, Treatment Recommendations, Unexplained Causes
Posted in female infertility, Infertility, Male Infertility | No Comments »
Friday, August 14th, 2009
“When should I tell people about my/our infertility?”
It’s a question that has no specific answer.
Some couples and individuals choose to tell people right away that they’re having difficulty conceiving. To them, it’s the obvious thing to do. Others never talk about their struggles with infertility at all, believing it’s an issue that’s best kept under wraps (maybe even forever.)
Though there are no clear-cut answers as to when you should let the proverbial cat out of the bag, you do have to be prepared for what people are going to say if and when you choose to “come out” about your infertility. After all, like it or lump it, some folks may respond lovingly… and others may not. This means you have to be ready for almost anything.
Fortunately, if you’re working with clinic that specializes in reproductive science issues, you’ll have terrific access to professionals who can help you navigate the waters ahead and steel yourself for any questions, responses or comments that may come your way.
And, of course, don’t let the possibility of a few uncouth statements deter you from reaching out. If you want to tell someone of your infertility, go for it. But if you’re not certain, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it under wraps for a little while longer. In the end, it’s up to you.
READER QUESTION: When did you choose to tell people about your struggle with infertility?
Tags: having trouble conceiving, Infertility, Reproductive Science
Posted in female infertility, Infertility, Male Infertility | No Comments »
Friday, July 10th, 2009
Guys who use their cell phone for prolonged periods of time may be inadvertently contributing to their infertility problems. So says a news item from WebMD.
Holding the cell to one’s ear isn’t the culprit; it’s when hands-free devices are used (think Bluetooth) and the cell phone is placed in the man’s lap (if sitting), in his pocket or snapped on his waistband. Small doses of radiation from the cell phone can actually contribute to male infertility, according to researchers.
As noted in the article:
Semen exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones had higher levels of damaging free radicals, lower sperm motility (the ability of the spermto move and swim) and sperm viability (the percentage of live sperm), and possibly greater oxidative stress…
For men and their partners who are having trouble conceiving naturally, these findings may provide a clue to their personal fertility mystery.
Tags: Bluetooth, cell phone, electromagnetic waves, Fertility, free radicals, Infertility Problems, live sperm, lower sperm, oxidative stress, radiation, radiofrequency, sperm viability, WebMD
Posted in Male Infertility | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
If you’re a man who’s taking an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) like Paxil, you may be inadvertantly lowering your fertility.
A recent report released by New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornellcontains some cautionary notes for males who are actively trying to have a child with a partner. As it turns out, in some men, SSRIs alter DNA (referred to as “DNA fragmentation” in the report), thus creating problems with fertility.
Of course, while the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell evidence may be an important clue to solving certain male infertility issues, it doesn’t necessarily mean that men should abandon their antidepressant medications.
As always, males should discuss all issues with their doctors before considering weaning themselves off of any SSRI.
Tags: antidepressant, DNA fragmentation, lowering fertility, males trying to have a child, man, medications, Paxil, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SSRI, trying to have a child
Posted in Male Infertility | No Comments »
Friday, July 3rd, 2009
In a recent Times of London article, Australian researchers announced that the key to boosting men’s sperm counts might lie in the number of times they have sex each week or month.
According to a study, males who had sex every other day had a more substantial sperm count than those who did not. This seems to contradict the age-old notion that for men to boost their sperm count and quality, several days’ abstinence is needed.
Obviously, each couple’s fertility issues are unique; however, as the researchers of the study noted, having sex every other day probably isn’t going to harm sperm counts. Additionally, it could be a good way to release any built-up stress between partners struggling with infertility.
Tags: Abstinence, Fertility Issues, Having Sex, Infertility, Sperm Count, Sperm Counts, Stress, Times Of London
Posted in Male Infertility, Sex | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
From the BBC comes a report that links male elite cyclists and infertility issues.
According to the article, the overall sperm quality of elite cyclists drop radically, mainly because of their vigorous training regimens. In fact, the Spanish researchers who conducted the survey of male elite cyclists even recommended those cyclists consider freezing their sperm before beginning their cycling careers.
However, this isn’t a cause for you to pitch your ten speed. In the study, the men who were examined cycled more than 186 miles per week, much more than your average Joe.
Because the same drop in sperm quality wasn’t seen in long-distance swimmers or runners, the problem may lie with a number of factors, including the heat generated from the cyclists’ clothing or the pressure of the seat against the groin area of the cyclist.
Though this may not affect you or your partner, it’s worth considering the possibility that certain types of high intensity exercise routines could lead to fertility issues.
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Tags: Average Joe, cycling careers, elite cyclist, Fertility Issues, freezing sperm, Infertility Issues, male elite cyclists, running, Sperm Quality, swimming, ten speed bike, training regimens, triathlete
Posted in Male Infertility | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Recent survey results released by Fertility LifeLines(TM) reveals some interesting facts regarding male infertility.
Some of the highlights of the survey include the following stats, many of which may help explain why men sometimes take a very low-key approach to fertility:
28% of the males who participated in the survey said they felt “embarrassed” when dealing with fertility issues;
39% of the males who participated in the survey felt sad or depressed when dealing with fertility issues.
45% of the surveyed men said they would wait more than a year before they would seek medical attention for fertility issues.
The upshot of these findings?
It’s apparent that our society needs to do a better job of educating young men on the facts regarding conception and fertility. And slowly but surely, we’re heading in the right direction.
Tags: Conception, Digg, education, Fertility Issues, Heading In The Right Direction, Infertility, infertility in men, Interesting Facts, Job, Male Infertility, Medical Attention, Rsi, Sad, Survey Results, Upshot, Young Men
Posted in Male Infertility | No Comments »
Friday, June 12th, 2009
There many myths and misconceptions that abound when it comes to male infertility. And it looks like one which sounds bizarre may actually have some credence.
A recent Newswise article noted that researchers at Loyola University Health System (LUHS) released a statement that prolonged and excessive laptop usage could, in fact, contribute to male infertility.
There’s no need to chuck your laptop if you’re trying to conceive with a partner, however. Instead, the people at LUHS recommended that men simply make certain they don’t rest their laptops on… well… their laps. That way, the heat generated from the laptop is less likely to affect sperm production now or in the future.
Tags: Credence, Heat Generated From, Infertility, Laps, Laptop Usage, Laptops, Loyola University, Luhs, Male Infertility, Misconceptions, Myths, Newswise, Reproductive Science, Rsi, Sperm Production, Trying To Conceive, University Health System
Posted in Fertility Issues In the News, Male Infertility | 2 Comments »
