The status of male fertility

According to the World Health Organisation one in six people of reproductive age will experience infertility, affecting 17.5% of the global adult population, equating to approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide. 

What is infertility?

Infertility is defined as the persistent inability of a couple to achieve pregnancy following at least 12 months of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse. 

What are the stats?

• One in seven couples have difficulty conceiving in the United Kingdom (UK), and one in six couple in Ireland, impacting both men and women.  

• Approximately 30% of fertility issues are due to the woman

• Up to 30% of fertility issues are due to the man

• And 30 to 40% are either down to both men and women or are due to unknown causes. 

• Currently, the  focus tends to be on the female during the conception and pre-conception process, however these figures suggest focus should be equally on males and females. 

What is male infertility?

• Of the 20% - 30% of fertility issues attributable to the male approximately 40% - 50% of those infertility issues are caused by one or a combination of more than one of the following: low sperm concentration, weak sperm motility, or abnormal morphology. 

Male fertility status

In recent decades sperm count has declined faster than initially anticipated and since the 1970s, there has been an annual decrease in sperm count of approximately 1.4%, accelerating to more than 2.6% per year since 2000.

Male infertility - contributing factors

Infertility in men is affected by various factors with smoking, alcohol consumption and drug addiction, obesity, and psychological stress being common factors impacting the downward trend.

More recently evidence has demonstrated links between dietary factors and sperm parameters and specifically between diet, sperm and oxidative stress (a naturally occurring process in the body), the last of which has been seen to affect sperm quality and DNA integrity.

What can be done?

There is strong scientific evidence supporting the role of dietary and lifestyle choices in support of male infertility. It takes approximately 3 months for male sperm to rejuvenate, therefore providing a window for change. 

Why is this important

For a couple struggling to conceive and who may be considering assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as IVF, as a way forward, working on a males nutrition and lifestyle choices could support the enhancement of their chances of conception. 

What's next?

If you or your partner are in search of your next step in your conception journey, then please reach out at hello@AmySwanNutrition for a free discovery call to discuss how we might be able to work together to support the optimisation of your conception chances.