Why are people so dismissive of the male side of the fertility equation? I haven’t figured that out yet. Guys — just because you feel healthy does NOT mean your sperm counts are normal.

In fact, 30-40% of the time the infertility is due to a male factor. It may be the only factor or it may be in addition to female factor(s) contributing to a couple’s infertility.

Sperm counts and quality fluctuate over time. They’re affected by health problems (high blood pressure, diabetes, even recent illness), obesity (we see this more and more), and lifestyle factors like heavy alcohol use, smoking, marijuana use, or use of testosterone. Finally, some men have underlying chromosome or genetic problems that cause sperm issues and infertility.

So, dudes, what can you do to optimize your reproductive health? Here you go:

✅ Stop smoking or using marijuana, and keep your alcohol use to a moderate level (for men, this means no more than 14 drinks per week and no more than 4 drinks in a single day).

✅ Maintain a healthy weight.

✅ DO NOT USE TESTOSTERONE UNTIL YOU ARE DONE HAVING CHILDREN (I cannot stress this enough)!

✅ Get established with a primary care doctor. You may feel fine and healthy yet still have high blood pressure, diabetes, or other problems that can affect sperm counts and quality, not to mention your overall long-term health. (I find that very few of my male patients have a primary care doctor, in contrast to women, who at least see their GYN once a year).

✅ If your fertility doctor recommends a semen analysis, please get one! We really need all the pieces of the puzzle to make the right treatment plan.

✅ There are no supplements that have been conclusively shown to improve sperm counts or quality. However, I generally recommend a basic men’s multivitamin to cover your bases.