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Nearly half of the 300 survey respondents said it was only after constantpressure that their husbands were willing to seek medical consultation, and 42percent said their husbands simply were not comfortable talking to a doctorabout their possible infertility, taking the position that they were "notmeant to have children."
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Male infertility affects approximately one in twenty men in the UnitedStates, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Why theapprehension to confront male infertility? Men's reluctance to seekinfertility treatment is a challenge to fertility experts in the IntegraMednetwork, who suggest some men associate their sense of masculinity with theability to conceive a child. Though cultural associations of masculinity andfertility are slowly changing, men's resistance to address the issue canhinder both diagnosis and timely treatment.
While more men than ever before are seeking treatment for male-factorfertility problems, they still lag behind women in getting the diagnostics andtreatment they need. IntegraMed specialists say it is common for the woman toundergo hormone, ovulatory function, and fallopian tube tests months beforeher husband has even had a simple semen analysis -- despite the possibilitythe couple's infertility could be due to his sperm or some combination of maleand female factors.
Fertility experts hope to continue to raise awareness about the importanceof male reproductive health. Despite steadily increasing media coverage ofmale fertility issues, public education remains a challenge. For example, manypatients are surprised to learn about the research of Kidd and Ford reportedin the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nov. 15, 2006) that menolder than 35 are twice as likely to be infertile as men younger than 25.
A healthy lifestyle is generally considered the most important factoraffecting male fertility. Fertility specialists in the IntegraMed networkoffer advice on the following five factors for improving the chances offatherhood:
A media backgrounder about the top 10 myths about male infertility isavailable online athttp://www.integramed.com/inmdweb/content/cons/conceptions/male-infertility_10myths.jsp
About IntegraMed America, Inc.
IntegraMed America, Inc. is the leading operator of fertility centers andvein care clinics in the United States. IntegraMed also offers consumertreatment-financing programs for fertility treatment and operateshttp://www.integramed.com, a leading fertility portal. The IntegraMedFertility network consists of 31 contracted centers in 101 locations acrossthe United States, including 171 physicians and Ph.D. scientists. One of everyfive IVF procedures in the U.S. is performed in an IntegraMed fertilitypractice. For more information visit http://www.integramed.com.-- Smoking -- Smokers often suffer from low sperm counts, decreased motility (the mobility of sperm), and a higher incidence of miscarriages. -- Substance abuse -- Excessive alcohol consumption can damage sperm; cocaine or heavy marijuana use appears to temporarily reduce the number and quality of sperm by as much as 50 percent. -- Diet & nutrition -- A recent study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of 1,558 men showed that men with a high BMI (Body Mass Index) have significantly poorer seme
