Male Fertility: Some Contributing Factors
MALE fertility is plunging. And nearly one in 10 men may be suffering, according to a survey published last month. The Male Fertility Study, compiled by Norwich Union Healthcare from a survey of GPs, suggests that 2.5 million British men are affected, and many do not even know they may be at risk. The scale of the problem was first recognised in 1991 when a Danish study found that sperm counts of Western men had fallen by about half in 50 years. Almost 15 years later, scientists are still trying to explain it.
Male fertility can be far more changeable than in women. Unlike women - who are born with a finite number of eggs - men are continually producing sperm. But samples from the same men taken as little as a month apart can vary dramatically. “We’ve had patients whose sperm has been fine. But on the day of their IVF treatment, the man has had little or no sperm at all because he’s had a bad bout of flu,” says Dr Iwan Lewis-Jones, a consultant andrologist at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital and an expert in male infertility. Here are some of the other things that scientists believe may have an effect on male fertility.
Fast food
If you happen to be partial to convenience or fast food - which is often packed full of “hidden soy” - you may be heading for a host of fertility problems. Scientists believe chemicals in the soya bean mimic oestrogen.
Dr Sheena Lewis, who conducted the latest research, says chemicals found in soya appear to lower sperm count and affect the ability of sperm to swim. “The results concern us,” she says.
Driving
A mounting body of evidence reveals that sitting behind the wheel for long periods is bad for sperm. Italian researchers found taxi drivers, truckers and other professional drivers all had reduced fertility levels. Another study by French researchers found that even driving for two hours can raise testicle temperature by around 2C.
Laptops
Years of using a laptop regularly “may cause irreversible or partially irreversible changes in male reproductive function”, according to one study. It is well known that sperm production drops if the environment within the testicles becomes too hot, which is why they are housed outside the main part of the body.
The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found that laptops can reach internal operating temperatures of over 70C. “They are frequently placed close to the scrotum.
Mobile phones
Another fertility scare came from the University of Szeged in Hungary, which claimed mobile phones could lower sperm counts by up to a third because of the radiation they emit. What’s more, the ability of the sperm to swim properly was also found to be impaired, particularly among men who made long calls.
Not everyone accepts the evidence as conclusive, however. “This research failed to take into account other aspects of men’s lifestyles. Men who use mobiles often have very different lifestyles to those who don’t,” says Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at the University of Sheffield and spokesman for the British Fertility Society.
Smoking
It’s widely accepted that smoking tobacco reduces sperm count, impairs sperm movement and makes them less able to penetrate an ovum. The good news is that if you quit, the health of your sperm will start to improve within two months. Smoking also restricts the blood flow to the genitals, which contributes to a man’s inability to get an erection. A man in his 30s or 40s can increase the risk of impotence by around 50 per cent.
Tight pants
Wear loose underpants and lose the leather trousers. It’s not a myth.
Studies show they can reduce a man’s chances of fathering a baby by overheating sperm-producing cells in testicles, which lowers sperm count.
Male fertility can be far more changeable than in women. Unlike women - who are born with a finite number of eggs - men are continually producing sperm. But samples from the same men taken as little as a month apart can vary dramatically. “We’ve had patients whose sperm has been fine. But on the day of their IVF treatment, the man has had little or no sperm at all because he’s had a bad bout of flu,” says Dr Iwan Lewis-Jones, a consultant andrologist at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital and an expert in male infertility. Here are some of the other things that scientists believe may have an effect on male fertility.
Fast food
If you happen to be partial to convenience or fast food - which is often packed full of “hidden soy” - you may be heading for a host of fertility problems. Scientists believe chemicals in the soya bean mimic oestrogen.
Dr Sheena Lewis, who conducted the latest research, says chemicals found in soya appear to lower sperm count and affect the ability of sperm to swim. “The results concern us,” she says.
Driving
A mounting body of evidence reveals that sitting behind the wheel for long periods is bad for sperm. Italian researchers found taxi drivers, truckers and other professional drivers all had reduced fertility levels. Another study by French researchers found that even driving for two hours can raise testicle temperature by around 2C.
Laptops
Years of using a laptop regularly “may cause irreversible or partially irreversible changes in male reproductive function”, according to one study. It is well known that sperm production drops if the environment within the testicles becomes too hot, which is why they are housed outside the main part of the body.
The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found that laptops can reach internal operating temperatures of over 70C. “They are frequently placed close to the scrotum.
Mobile phones
Another fertility scare came from the University of Szeged in Hungary, which claimed mobile phones could lower sperm counts by up to a third because of the radiation they emit. What’s more, the ability of the sperm to swim properly was also found to be impaired, particularly among men who made long calls.
Not everyone accepts the evidence as conclusive, however. “This research failed to take into account other aspects of men’s lifestyles. Men who use mobiles often have very different lifestyles to those who don’t,” says Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at the University of Sheffield and spokesman for the British Fertility Society.
Smoking
It’s widely accepted that smoking tobacco reduces sperm count, impairs sperm movement and makes them less able to penetrate an ovum. The good news is that if you quit, the health of your sperm will start to improve within two months. Smoking also restricts the blood flow to the genitals, which contributes to a man’s inability to get an erection. A man in his 30s or 40s can increase the risk of impotence by around 50 per cent.
Tight pants
Wear loose underpants and lose the leather trousers. It’s not a myth.
Studies show they can reduce a man’s chances of fathering a baby by overheating sperm-producing cells in testicles, which lowers sperm count.
by Kate Hilpern
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posted by Health Blog @ 2:27 AM
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