Are Male’s Lack of Knowlege Leading to Higher Infertility Rates?

infertility amongst men

Male infertility is on the rise, and doctors may finally have a first step at combatting it. A new study suggests that it’s the men’s lack of information (or, you could call it ignorance) that may be the culprit here. While women are researching the causes of infertiliy from the first signs of infertility, men have taken a back seat to self-education.

It’s widely known that half of infertile couples are due to male infertility, yet most men have little knowledge of the risk factors that contribute to the inability to conceive naturally.

In a study published in the November issue of the journal Human Reproduction, men could identify only about 50% of the potential risks and health conditions that could significantly affect their sperm count and fertility.

The Journal of Human Reproduction’s survey studied more than 700 Canadian men aged 18 to 50 with a range of ethnic backgrounds, income, and education, and asked them to identify factors associated with male infertility. Most of the men were able to identify the more common or well-known infertility risk factors such as cancer, smoking, and steroid use, but very few were able to identify lesser-known causes like obesity, frequent bicycling, and using portable computers on their lap.

According to Dr. Phyllis Zelkowitz, a professor and researcher of psychiatry at McGill University and the Jewish General Hospital, “Men tend to ask fewer questions about their health when they go to the doctor.”

So the solution? Besides the obvious solution of encouraging men to do their own online research, men should look up male education programs, online groups geared towards male infertility, and group meetups that allow men to share their experiences together, and utilize their time with their doctors to inquire about infertility risk factors.

What are good questions to ask during an IVF consult?

For those experiencing infertility for the first time, the initial consult with the doctor can be scary and overwhelming! What do you ask, how many questions should you ask, and how do you even know where to start?! The initial consultation is a great opportunity to learn as much as you can about both infertility in general, and your specific case in a short time, and you’ll want to take advantage of it.

If you are seeing a good doctor (which, hopefully you are as fertility is not something to skimp on), he or she should guide you through the process and be prepared with the answers to the questions you should be asking, without you having to ask them. Sometimes letting the doctor provide a lot of the initial information in a systematic way can be very helpful and make it easier to understand.

If you have reached the point of having an IVF consult, you have likely have eliminated most, if not all, other options of conceiving naturally, so a list of questions might have already started brewing in your mind. When you sit down to discuss this with your IVF doctor, its important that you bring every one of your thoughts, concerns, and questions to the table to ensure that your clinic is the right one for you.

A great place to start before going into your initial fertility consultation appointment, is to check as many online resources as possible to gain as much knowledge on your own as you can. A few trusted fertility resources include: SART, and Resolve.org.

Next, the questions. Here is a list that make a great starting point for your fertility consultation:

Clinic Procedural Questions:

  • Do they offer a shared risk program? (Some clinics offer a flat rate, 3 fresh, 3 frozen cycles package)
  • What is their policy on embryo transfers? 1 or 2? (Some people feel that clinics that are willing to transfer more than 2 are in it more for the positive ratings of pregnancy then the health and wellness of baby and mom. In the 20’s-30’s age bracket 2 transfers is the norm, while in the 40’s age bracket, 3 transfers is acceptable.)
  • What does a cycle look like with their clinic? What type of timeline do they use, from start to finish?
  • Who would you be working with? The nurse or the doctor? (You can also request to meet this nurse or any other person who will be directly supporting you in your fertility journey.)
  • Is the clinic open for retrievals and transfers on weekends?
Clinic Success Questions:
  • Request information about the clinic’s past success rates: ask for the number of cycles they have done and their successes/failures.
  • What is the clinics pregnancy success rate with people in your age bracket with similar infertility issues?
  • How often does the clinic see OHSS cases (hyperstimulation – this typically this happens when the doctor overstimulates – we’re looking for low numbers here).
Personal Success Questions:
  • Based on your medical history, what specific challenges do they foresee?
  • Given your medical history, what percentage of success rate do they foresee for you to get pregnant with one fresh cycle?
  • Clinics have a “base” medical IVF standard they use when starting patients on a med program. One thing you will want to know is based on your medical and fertility history, how will they adjust the medications specifically for you? (For example, if you have low progesterone, your doctor might determine you’d be at an advantage to start you higher than they typically do.)
  • What kinds of fertility medications do they recommend for your particular kind of infertility, which are the cheapest fertility meds, which are the most trusted fertility medications, and which meds have they personally seen the most success with, for similar cases as yours?

 

Ask as many follow-up questions as you need to to feel comfortable, and don’t leave with any left hanging. Make sure you feel comfortable with the answers that you are given. If they start using medical jargon, abbreviations, or fertility medication or procedure terms you’re not familiar with, stop them to ask them what certain medications or abbreviations mean. Your goal is to walk out of this appointment knowing that you understand the journey ahead of you, and have a firm understanding of what that specific fertility clinic or doctor can do for you and your specific case.

With a huge influx of facts and figures thrown at you, you may feel a bit overwhelmed when you leave. It’s okay to take time to decompress. Use your support units, partner, trusted friends or family members. If you still have questions, call the clinic back. And remember that you are a customer, paying them to provide a service, so you have absolutely every right to feel comfortable, satisfied, and safe during the entire fertility process.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): The Five Most Important Things to Know

If you’re reading this article you likely already know that Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is when a woman’s estrogen and progesterone hormone levels are out of balance. This results in growth of ovarian cysts (benign masses on the ovaries), which cause problems with a women’s menstrual cycle, fertility, cardiac function, and appearance. Now, for some thing you might not already know about PCOS:

  1. Women with PCOS may experience many things including gaining weight easier, have more hair growth, mood swings, irregular periods, or have difficulty getting pregnant.
  2. Diet and exercise may not be enough to keep you healthy. Speak with your doctor about the necessity of specialty medications to help manage your PCOS.
  3. The cysts in your ovaries may not be actual cysts, but may be eggs that were unable to grow enough to reach ovulation.
  4. There is not 1 test to diagnose PCOS. Usually, your physician will order an ultrasound and/or do blood work to determine if you actually have PCOS. For this reason, it is important to talk to your doctor if you experience any symptoms stated earlier so that you can be diagnosed early.
  5. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women, however it can be treated.

Kings Pharmacy located in Brooklyn, NY has the lowest possible prices for infertility medications. We are able to help women in many different states to get their medications quickly and our friendly staff is always available to help answer any of your pharmaceutical questions. Call 1-800-795-4647 today for more information!