Men’s Health Week: Why Your Guy’s Health Matters for Fertility
It’s men’s health week, and the focus is the importance of health and wellness for men. The week is purposely designed to be the week leading up to father’s day, which is significant for couples facing infertility too because becoming a dad is the goal. Fertility is often seen as a women’s issue because IVF is designed to get women pregnant, and providers often don’t focus on underlying health conditions that can impact male fertility.
Yet, don’t overlook the guys: when it comes to fertility, men matter. Men are 50% of the baby-making equation. In my practice, I see both men and women because your man’s health is just as important as yours—and male infertility can and should be addressed.
Research shows sperm counts have plummeted 50% since the 1970s. And there are specific things men can do to improve their sperm count and quality and reduce ED that should be part of any fertility program.
Data on declining sperm count and quality
Infertility is a heartbreaking and difficult journey for any couple. Yet, it is less well acknowledged that men are 50% of the infertility equation. Environmental contaminants, poor quality nutrition, lack of exercise, stress, and aging have all contributed to male infertility.
Men’s sperm health is a picture of their total health. The study Lifestyle and fertility: the influence of stress and quality of life on male fertility reflects the crucial need to nourish men’s health with healthy nutrition, supplements, and exercise; help with mental health, stress, and achieving good quality sleep; and reducing exposure to environmental toxins—evidence-based approaches to the treatment of male infertility.
As for women, age is not the automatic deciding factor of fertility for men. Most of us can think of several famous men who father children at an older age, but this isn’t a given for men. Usually, it is a much younger spouse that makes that possible.
As men age, sperm quality declines, but men can still have good quality sperm at an older age—and it takes attention and commitment to health - i.e., really taking care of their body.
Sperm quality is directly related to biological age—how old your body is in fact—not your chronological age or your number of years. Is your guy a young 40 or an old 40? A guy can be 40 with the body of a 50-year-old or 40 with the body of a 35-year-old. This makes a big difference in fertility since quality eggs and sperm are the ingredients to get pregnant, stay pregnant, and have a healthier baby.
I have patients with husbands in their 30s who did not get tested initially. The entire work-up was focused on the woman. One year into the fertility journey of not getting pregnant, the clinic tested the husband and discovered that he had a low sperm count after much expense and hardship went into trying to figure out the cause of infertility with the female. Even if your partner or husband is not “old” or “out of shape,” they can still have low sperm count, poor motility, or abnormal sperm—all things that can factor into reducing your chances of conceiving.
Even if you don’t want to get pregnant now, it is never too early to start taking care of your health and for your guy to take care of his health.
Here are some basic tips for men:
Get a full physical and lab work-up
Drink half your body weight of water in ounces (200 lbs = 100 ounces of water a day)
Exercise 5x a week for 30 minutes (moderate intensity)
Eat fruit and veggies every day
Take a multivitamin with selenium and zinc
To get really healthy, you need to go beyond the basics. At Simplina, we get into the personalized health profile based on male health history and lab results to make sure there is a full targeted lifestyle plan in place. Interested? Join our coaching program to get the best for you both.