The World Health Organisation recently reported that infertility now affects one in six couples, with the fault being a fifty-fifty split originating between men and women. With male infertility increasing worldwide, researchers have highlighted that the lack of knowledge regarding its causes combined with limited clinical tools has resulted in a more female-centric approach to fertility treatment, and thus a need to highlight male infertility issues as just as important.
“We should never dismiss infertility as just a female issue,” comments Dr Marta Jansa Perez, Director of Embryology at Bridge Clinic London. “Male infertility is just as important to address for solutions to infertility, and clinics have a responsibility to provide information to patients and the wider public alike about the effects from both sides of the infertility issue.”
“Most male patients do not even realise they might have problems until it is too late. Even with sperm donors, such as young men in their 20s, the fact that they could have erectile dysfunction or poor sperm parameters, can be a shock. But starting a discussion on male infertility early with wider public education has become a pressing concern that cannot be forgotten – it is just as important for men to be willing to get tested as it is for women.”
Last year it was reported that whilst continental Europe has been facing a birth rate crisis, the UK might also be heading the same way, with the national birth rate being at the lowest record since 2002. Tackling the issue of male infertility is one part of the puzzle in combatting lowered birth rates, but often the cause is unknown, and few targeted treatments exist.
“At Bridge Clinic, we only offer patients the most up-to-date research and insight into fertility science. To overcome the obstacle that male infertility presents in conception, we provide in our offering the option of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) – a precise technique enabling the direct injection of sperm into eggs, improving fertilisation rates, conception, and birth prospects. This is offered at the same cost as standard IVF treatment.”
“More focus on the science of male reproductive health is a responsibility that must be carried by embryologists and leading fertility scientists. Despite its importance, the subject of male fertility is often overshadowed by the focus on women’s reproductive health. Changing the perceptions of infertility, including beliefs that seeking medical help is something to feel emasculated by, is a responsibility for clinical caregivers to champion in the meantime”.
“Often the stigma of even starting a conversation about male infertility is half the battle in addressing the problem. But with more awareness, openness to actively discuss and willingness to get tested, we can together combat both the perception of male infertility as a weakness and a lot of the root causes affecting men today.”
Bridge Clinic London prides itself on its access to all leading IVF treatments and technologies, alongside our counselling services providing a sensitive, patient-friendly approach to care. It aims to limit any aggravation to stress factors patients may experience during the IVF journey, including providing support for the conversation of infertility concerns, should they arise with patients.
