FCC Fertility Blog

A consultation with a male fertility specialist is the first step toward receiving a diagnosis and determining whether fertility treatment is needed or whether a medical approach is best to assist with family planning goals. Many men may find the step of actually attending a fertility consult daunting because it means they are “admitting” to a potential issue. One important thing to remember throughout this process is that male fertility issues are very common, even if not yet widely and openly discussed.

Even today, there are a number of misconceptions surrounding male fertility, and specifically sperm health. The health of a man’s sperm is dependent on a number of factors, and issues with sperm’s quality can stem from any of them. 

At the Fertility Center of California, we wish to dispel unhelpful myths by providing educational information that men can use to make healthy choices that will benefit both their fertility and overall health.

A common reaction to hearing about fertility issues, whether relating to male or female concerns, is for someone to tell you to simply “relax.”

“Relax, and it will happen naturally.”

“Take it easy. Stress makes things worse.”

“Maybe you’d conceive if you took a vacation.”

Fertility preservation, also known as sperm freezing, is fortunately an increasingly prevalent part of the conversation recently diagnosed cancer patients have with their oncologist. In the past, what could happen to a man’s fertility after cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation was not on the radar. Patients were not informed prior to treatment that their fertility could be negatively affected or that there were options for preservation should any ill effects occur.

Becoming a sperm donor is admirable, and the Fertility Center of California supports donors throughout the donation process. For the most part, sperm donation is straightforward, but there are elements of the program, including what is required of the donor, that may come as a surprise.

A semen analysis serves the purpose of evaluating ejaculated sperm, and 2-3 may be required to get a full baseline because sperm counts can vary from one day to the next. The procedure is a core component of male fertility testing, and results can determine whether male factor infertility is present.

What does a semen analysis look for?

Are you considering using a sperm donor to help build your family? Sperm donation programs aid those who are LGBT or facing infertility, as well as single women. Once the decision to use a sperm donor is made, the next step in the process is choosing a sperm donor program, and then a donor within that program.  

The key to understanding sperm health is to know what determines whether sperm is or isn’t healthy. Sperm health is measured in the quantity of sperm, the quality of the sperm and the sperm’s motility (ability to move). Men with a low sperm count, poor sperm quality or poor sperm motility can experience difficulty conceiving. In some cases, male sperm quality is altered by lifestyle habits, usually the same types of habits that doctors dissuade patients from because of long-term health risks.

A study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem argues that male infertility rates could be higher than expected, and that sperm quality is on the decline. The study demonstrates that “sperm concentration has fallen by 52% among men in Western countries between 1973 and 2011,” and it follows concerns noted across other similar studies that confirm falling sperm concentration in Asian countries like China and Japan.

Even in 2017, there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding male fertility and sperm health. It is unfortunate that these misunderstandings persist because if certain conditions go unchecked by medical professionals, men could potentially risk harming their fertility under the misperception that they are doing something they were led to believe was healthy. Just as women are encouraged to be educated about their fertility, men should be encouraged to do the same. Male fertility is not as certain as many men believe it to be.