Fertility Awareness and Men’s Health

It is fertility awareness week, and we are here to raise awareness for men’s fertility.

Fertility issues can be tiring, lonely, and scary, especially among men who don’t have a strong support system. Fertility issues among men are just as common as fertility issues among women, yet it is highly stigmatized. Masculinity has been tied to fertility and one’s ability to have a child. When that ability is taken away, it brings along feelings of shame and failure. Coupled with the fact that society sees fertility as a female issue, men are less likely to speak about their fertility issues.1

It is a common misconception that fertility issues are always caused by the woman in the relationship. In one-third of couples experiencing fertility issues, the issue lies with the man.2 As with many issues, fertility issues among men is a highly stigmatized topic. Men feel like they have to be the rock in the relationship, and it is weak to show any vulnerability. However, keeping all of these feelings bottled up can be detrimental to men’s mental health, as men struggling with fertility issues are more likely to feel anxious, depressed, lonely, and suicidal.3

Causes

Fertility issues can result from several causes. A few of these causes are:

1. Sperm disorders: This is the most common cause of fertility issues among men. In some cases, the issue lies with abnormalities in the sperm, such as the shape or movement. In other cases, men produce low amounts of sperm or none at all.4
2. Varicocele: Varicoceles are also a very common cause of fertility issues. It is an enlarged vein in the scrotum. It can cause overheating of the testes, resulting in lower sperm production.5, 6
3. Medication: Medications used to treat health problems such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and infection can have an impact on the production of sperm.7 Furthermore, steroids have severe negative long-term impacts on fertility.8
4. Retrograde ejaculation: The semen goes backwards in the body and into your bladder instead of out the penis. This can be caused by surgery, health problems, or medications.9
5. Lifestyle: The lifestyle choices you make can impact the quality and quantity of your sperm. Drinking alcohol, smoking, doing drugs, and health issues can negatively impact your sperm count.10

Testing

It may take a couple of tests to confirm the cause(s) of fertility issues. Two of the main methods of testing are:

• General physical exam and medical history: You may be asked questions about conditions, health problems, illnesses, injuries, and/or sexual habits and sexual development.11
• Semen analysis: The semen is analyzed to look for any abnormalities in the shape and movement of the sperm, as well as any other problems, such as infections.12

Additional fertility tests are:

• Hormone testing to measure the level of testosterone.13
• Scrotal ultrasound to check for problems in the testicles, such as a varicocele.14
• Transrectal ultrasound to check your prostate and blockages of the tubes that carry semen.15
• Post-ejaculation urinalysis to check for sperm in your urine.16

Treatments

Having fertility issues does not mean you can’t have a child. There are several treatments available, including:

• Lifestyle changes: Depending on the cause of your fertility issues, you may be able to solve them with simple lifestyle changes. These include maintaining a healthy body weight, and little to no smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.17 
• Surgery: Surgery can be used to correct varicoceles, repair blockages, reverse vasectomies, and directly retrieve sperm.18
• Hormone treatments and medication: Recommended when fertility issues are caused by high/low levels of certain hormones.19 

If you are a man struggling with fertility issues, know that you are not alone. There is nothing wrong with you, and it does not make you any less of a man. It is important to seek treatment regarding your physical and mental health. Experiencing fertility issues does not mean you will not be a father. There are treatment options available to you.

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References

1 Male infertility remains taboo subject despite high prevalence, advances in treatment. National Post. June 9, 

2015. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://nationalpost.com/health/male-infertility-remains-taboo-subject-despite-high-prevalence-advances-in-treatment.

2 How common is infertility? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human 

Development. Accessed October 23, 2023. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/common#:~:text=About%209%25%20of%20men%20and,States%20have%20experienced%20fertility%20problems.&text=In%20one%2Dthird%20of%20infertile,both%20the%20man%20and%20woman.

3, 8 Oaklander M. The silent shame of male infertility. Time. January 3, 2019. Accessed October 23, 2023. 

4, 7, 9, 10 Male infertility. Male Infertility: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment – Urology Care Foundation. 

Accessed October 23, 2023. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/m/male-infertility. 

5 Varicoceles. Varicoceles: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment – Urology Care Foundation. Accessed October 

30, 2023. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/v/varicoceles. 

6 Nonsurgical treatment for male infertility caused by varicoceles. UCSF Radiology. September 8, 2021. 

Accessed October 30, 2023. https://radiology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/sections/ir/advanced-services/varicocele#:~:text=Decreased%20sperm%20count%2C%20decreased%20motility,scrotum%20and%20decreasing%20sperm%20production.

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 Male infertility. Mayo Clinic. December 28, 2022. Accessed October 23, 2023. 

17 Male infertility: Causes & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. Accessed October 30, 2023.