LEADING SA REPRODUCTIVE DOCTOR URGES MEN TO BE MAN ENOUGH TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFERTILITY  

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Johannesburg – June is Men’s Health Month, and across the country health care providers and the media will be embracing the opportunity to highlight the importance of the early detection and treatment of many male-specific diseases, particularly prostate cancer, a leading cause of death in men.

However, one health problem that is generally not given much media attention is male infertility. Specialist in Reproductive Medicine Dr Merwyn Jacobson says infertility in men is a genuine medical issue which accounts for nearly one half of all infertility cases; male infertility is the reason up to 40 percent of South African couples cannot achieve pregnancy. This is a remarkable statistic considering that infertility still tends to be largely attributed to the woman, a misconception that Dr Jacobson says needs to be changed urgently:  “Men do tend to interpret being infertile as a blow to their sexual prowess but, for the sake of improving a couple’s chances of conceiving, men must realize that infertility has nothing to do with virility. In fact, they are even more of a man if they – and their peers – can accept and deal with their infertility, which has more to do with the absence of healthy sperm in the semen than good looks, a muscular physique and being potent.”

The fact that there are generally no obvious symptoms – or warning signs – of male infertility further helps reinforce the notion that infertility is a female problem. “The production of sperm is a very complicated process that begins at puberty and continues, in healthy males, until late in life, so it is not surprising that men can be infertile,” says Dr Jacobson. “There is a number of potential causes of male infertility:

Lifestyle                                              Smoking

                                                                Recreational drugs

                                                                Alcohol abuse

                                                                Use of anabolic steroids

                                                                Tight underwear

                                                                Exposure to toxic chemicals

Hormonal problems                      

Physical problems                           Damaged sperm ducts

Varicocele (varicose veins of the testicles)

                                                                Infection – mumps, STDs

                                                                Genetic

                                                                Retrograde ejaculation

                                                                Previous vasectomy

Psychological/Physical                  Ejaculatory dysfunction (ED)

                                                                Premature ejaculation

                                                                Ejaculatory incompetence

These may result in anything from complete absence of sperm (azoospermia), low sperm count (oligospermia), abnormal sperm shape (teratozoospermia), or problems with either sperm mobility (asthenozoospermia), or sperm that is completely immobile (necrozoospermia).

However, men can reduce their chances of being infertile by minimizing certain risk factors. Just like women, men do have biological clocks and fertility does gradually decrease in men who are older than 40.

One test to evaluate male fertility is a semen analysis. This will determine the number, activity and shape of the sperm. This relatively simple test involves the man providing a semen sample for a lab to evaluate. Dr Jacobson says it is the overall evaluation of the ejaculate, not the only the quantity, of sperm that influences a man’s ability to impregnate an egg: “Men with low sperm counts may not have trouble fathering a child, while men with high sperm counts may.  A person’s fertility depends on the fertility of their partner.”

Fortunately, in a large number of cases, male infertility can be improved either by treating the problem or using fertility treatments. The most straightforward treatment options include a course of antibiotics in cases of infection, medication or fertility drugs to improve sperm production, or surgical correction in order to either remove a varicocele, to repair a duct obstruction or to reverse a vasectomy.

There have also been huge improvements in dealing with more complicated male fertility problems, including reduced sperm mobility. IUI, or intrauterine insemination, is a relatively simple infertility treatment in which a small catheter is used to place specially washed sperm directly into the uterus. Also referred to as artificial insemination, this treatment may be used in cases of low sperm count or quality. IVF treatment may be suggested if IUI is not successful or appropriate, or if female infertility is a contributing problem.  Today, in even the most difficult of male infertility cases, the direct injection of sperm into eggs in a procedure called Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) can now significantly improve the likelihood of pregnancy. Other treatments include electro-ejaculation for patients with spinal cord injuries, epididymal sperm aspiration for men with absent or blocked ducts, and hormone replacement for individuals with pituitary deficiencies.

So, this Father’s Day, if you and your partner have been trying to unsuccessfully conceive for more than one year, be man enough to admit that you may have a role to play in the fertility stakes, and, together with your partner, seek the help of a reputable fertility clinic to help build your family.

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About Vitalab Fertility Clinic

Vitalab Centre for Assisted Conception is a renowned centre for the diagnosis and treatment of fertility, particularly male fertility.  Vitalab was founded in 1985 and in the ensuing period, outstanding medical care, years of focused experience and state of the art technologies has established Vitalab as one of the Africa’s leading fertility clinics.  Vitalab combines the most recent advances in medical therapy with an open, holistic approach and the highest levels of patient care, and all Vitalab’s practitioners focus exclusively on infertility. It is the only fertility clinic which provides a comprehensive service under one roof: counselling services, pathology facilities, a clinical hypno-fertility service, a dietician and a radiology department are located together with a fully licensed IVF operating theatre. Vitalab’s dedication and willingness to treat the most difficult infertility problems, and its success in doing so, has made Vitalab a world leader in its field.  For more information on fertility options, visit www.vitalab.com.

Issued on behalf of                  :          Vitalab Fertility Clinic

                                                            Drs Jacobson, Gobetz and Volschenk

                                                            Specialists in Reproductive Medicine

Issued by                                 :           Jenni Newman Public Relations (Pty) Ltd

                                                                                Chantelle Street

Account Manager

072 421 5860 / 011 506 7355

chanetelles@jnpr.co.za