Study shows casual sex may improve a man's sperm count

Men who have sex with new partners will produce better quality sperm, scientists believe. A study has shown that sperm health is improved when men have encounters with unfamiliar women. And researchers at The College of Wooster in Ohio hope their findings will help to improve treatments for fertility Quantity, movement and structure all aid sperm health.
Writing in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science, researchers said they believe these traits may change for the better, with new sexual partners. 'Our findings are the first to demonstrate that men's ejaculate behaviour and composition change in response to novel female stimulus,' the team led by Paul Joseph said.
The study involved 21 participants, all heterosexual men aged between 18 and 23 years old. The men each provided seven ejaculate samples over the course of 15 days.
Those recruited to take part were only enrolled if they had no history of sexual dysfunction, no conditions affecting testicular health and no sexually transmitted infections. In addition, they were not taking any medication and didn't smoke.
Researchers used clips from sexually explicit films, involving one actor and one actress. Each participant watched the clips in the same private room at roughly the same time of day every 48 to 72 hours. The clips were three minutes long and were played on repeat until a man ejaculated.
Six film clips featured the same man and woman but differed in the sexual acts performed. Meanwhile a seventh clip featured the same man while the female differed distinctly, with different facial and body features, hair colour and tattoos.
Each man was asked to record the time he started watching the film clips, and when he ejaculated. Researchers then analysed the men's samples, to ascertain sperm health. The authors wrote: 'In our study, men produced higher quality ejaculates when exposed to novel, rather than familiar women.
'Additionally, men ejaculated more quickly when viewing a new woman after being exposed to the same woman repeatedly.' They said their findings suggest that men 'preferentially invest more' into new sexual situations with unfamiliar partners.
The study's authors said one reason for producing 'better' sperm with a new partner is down to sperm competition and an evolutionary desire to secure an heir.
'An increase in the total number of motile sperm may result in higher likelihood of fertilisation and greater ability to compete with other male’s sperm, whereas a decrease in the time to ejaculation may decrease the likelihood of an extra-pair copulation (with a partner that is not your own) being detected,' they wrote.
They added the results could have an impact on fertility treatments, warning male infertility could be being under-diagnosed. This is because 'ejaculate samples used to test for infertility are often collected with the use of images depicting women other than the man’s partner', the researchers said.
'Our results have important implications for understanding selective pressures on male reproductive patterns, the plasticity of ejaculate allocation, and diagnosis and treatment in the context of male fertility,' they added.
They suggest that further studies would be beneficial to help assist medical professionals in devising improved strategies for male infertility diagnosis.
Article: 4th August 2015 www.dailymail.co.uk

Five foods that may help male fertility

New research suggests a poor diet can wreak havoc on more than a man’s pants size. Guys, you’ve heard the standard advice for protecting your swimmers: Don’t wear tight undies. Keep your laptop far from, well, your lap. Stop smoking ASAP. But there may be an even easier way to shield your sperm — watch what you eat. “We’ve noticed that fertility has been decreasing over the past several decades. And guys want advice to improve upon matters,” said Dr. Ryan Terlecki, director of the Men’s Health Clinic for the Wake Forest University Department of Urology. “Most guys have never even heard that anything in their diet could impact sperm count.” But the truth is, an emerging body of research suggests that the foods you pile on your plate may play a role in the number of sperm you have (count), whether they’re normally shaped (morphology), and how well they move (motility). How that does that play out in the bedroom? “Sperm count is, of course, important, because if it’s not there, you’re not going to [biologically] father a kid,” said Dr. Paul Turek, president of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology. “And I think sperm motility is more important than sperm count.” Although morphology is less firmly linked to fertility, it has been shown in a number of studies to influence reproductive success, said Audrey Gaskins, who researches nutrition and fertility at the Harvard School of Public Health. Although the research is still new, one thing is clear: The foods that may pose a threat to male fertility are many of the same dietary culprits behind things such as Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease. That means you’d be smart to avoid them, regardless of whether you plan to make a baby any time soon.The following foods might get in the way of fatherhood: Processed meats Sure, meat is considered the ultimate man food — but if you eat the wrong kind, your sperm could be compromised. In a 2014 Harvard study, men who consumed the most processed meat — hamburgers, hot dogs, salami, bologna, bacon — had 23 percent fewer normal sperm than guys who ate it sparingly. In another 2014 study, published in the journal Epidemiology, the same researchers found that eating processed meat was associated with lower sperm count. Interestingly, saturated fat intake — which has previously been blamed for poor sperm quality — wasn’t the nutritional connection. “We didn’t find a link with unprocessed red meat, so it seems to be something that happens in the processing that is detrimental to sperm quality,” Gaskins told Yahoo Health. One possibility: Processed meats tend to house more hormonal residues than other meats, which could have potential reproductive consequences. “In the U.S., we allow more hormones to be administered to our cattle [than in the European Union],” she said. “So this is definitely one possible p> “Dark meat fish have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids,” which have been previously shown to boost healthy sperm, said Gaskins. The extra dose of vitamin D in dark-meat fish may also be a factor. Full-fat dairy Whole milk may leave you with a fraction of the healthy sperm you should have. Young guys who eat at least two servings of full-fat dairy — especially cheese and whole milk — per day tend to have fewer motile sperm, according to a 2013 study in Human Reproduction. Don’t blame the cows, though: Pesticides and other chemical contaminants in the environment, which are attracted to the fat in dairy, may be what leads to subpar sperm, the scientists say. Eat this instead: You don’t have to ditch dairy altogether. Just switch your focus to the low-fat kind: Men who consume a couple servings of low-fat dairy — especially 1% or 2% milk — per day have 33 percent higher sperm counts and more motile sperm than those who eat little or no low-fat dairy, a 2014 study in Fertility and Sterility found. One explanation: Low-fat milk may boost levels of insulin growth factor-1, a hormone thought to aid the cells that help produce sperm, the scientists say. “It’s not always the sperm themselves [that are affected],” said Terlecki. “Sometimes, it’s the supporting cells — those that create testosterone to nurture sperm development, and cells that guide the sperm toward maturation. We see those cells affected a lot, in terms of compounds that come from the diet.” Non-organic produce That fresh spinach may come with a side of pesticides — and your sperm could be the first casualty: In a study presented at the 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting, which took place this week, men who consumed the most pesticide residues through produce had 64 percent fewer normal sperm and 70 percent fewer motile sperm than guys who took in the least. Pesticides may throw your hormonal balance out of whack, which can interfere with your body’s production of sperm, said Gaskins. “We’re concerned about low chronic exposure, day after day at a low dose,” she said. “Our body slowly becomes unable to deal with these low-level impacts over time. This slowly leads to destruction.” Eat this instead: We’d never suggest you eliminate produce from your diet — but you may want to consider shelling out the cash for organic fruits and vegetables, especially when it comes to these pesticide-laden picks: apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines (imported), cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. A 2014 Environmental Working Group study showed that these 10 fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticide load. Alcohol You booze, you lose — sperm, that is. Drinking alcohol may have a negative impact on sperm concentration and motility, according to a 2012 Brazilian study of men seeking fertility treatments. Why? Downing copious amounts of alcohol may lead to total-body oxidative stress, which is a key cause of male infertility, the researchers say. But one drink probably isn’t a problem: “In moderation, alcohol intake seems to have no effect on semen quality,” Gaskins said. However, as a new Danish study found, modest but habitual alcohol intake — slightly less than a bottle of wine per week — may compromise sperm quality. Drink this instead: An occasional beer probably won’t do your body any harm, but if you’re constantly sipping on something (besides water), make it pomegranate juice. In a Turkish study, male rats given pomegranate juice on a daily basis experienced a boost in sperm count and motility. The purple juice is a rich source of antioxidants, like vitamin C, and although this was an animal study, past research has linked a high intake of antioxidants in men to better semen quality. “Men who eat a healthier diet with higher antioxidants — particularly from natural foods, as opposed to supplements — tend to have higher motility,” noted Gaskins. Soda Here’s yet another reason to kick the can: In a new study of 189 healthy young men, published in Human Reproduction, regularly drinking sugar-sweetened drinks — slightly more than a serving per day — was linked to poorer sperm motility. (Interestingly, this connection was strongest among lean men.) Sipping on sugary beverages — soda, sports drinks, sweet tea — boosts your odds of insulin resistance, which in turn leads to oxidative stress than can damage your sperm, the scientists say. Eat this instead: If you need a shot of sugar, make it the kind found in fruit — not soda. In the Brazilian study, fruit was positively related to sperm quality, although, keep in mind, you should go organic whenever possible (or give your fruit a good scrubbing before eating it).

How George Clooney can increase his fertility at age 53?

With the wedding almost out of the way speculation will be rife that babies are going to be next on the agenda for George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin. And although George looks to be in the peak of physical fitness, he is 53 and from a baby making point of view it's his clock that is ticking for a change. Although a man's fertility does not decline in the same way as a woman's, it is certainly the case that advancing age can have an impact. Several studies have shown that being over 50 is associated with a decline in semen volume, sperm motility and morphology. So, if like George you're slightly more mature than the average budding dad-to-be, what can you do to ensure your sperm is in tiptop condition? 1. Ease back on the nespressos - scientific studies vary in their conclusions and it's difficult to separate caffeine intake from other lifestyle factors but some research suggests too much caffeine can reduce sperm count. I suggest no more than one caffeinated drink a day. Don't forget the caffeine in fizzy drinks and when ordering from the big coffee chains ask for one shot not two. 2. Stay out of the sauna. I'm sure the Aman Canal Grande Hotel in Venice has some amazing facilities, but not for you, George! Extreme heat is very bad for sperm and if you sit cooking them in a sauna they will be collapsing left, right and centre. Hot baths are also a no-no, though showers are OK. The good news though, if you have been indulging in spa facilities recently, is that sperm count will usually return to normal within about 3 months. 3. Cut back on the booze - apparently Clooney's best friend has flown in 50 cases of tequila for the wedding weekend. I definitely wouldn't deprive the groom of a good knees-up on his own wedding day but it's probably wise to scale back after that. One large study published in 2009 found that couples who shared one bottle of wine a week were 25% less likely to be successful at IVF. 4. Eat well - breakfast, lunch and dinner, all to contain some protein to help balance blood sugar throughout the day, plenty of leafy green veg, not too much sugar etc etc - you know the drill. You don't have to deny yourself the treats you love but eat more of the good stuff and the rubbish will be crowded out. 5. Don't use a laptop on your lap. There is the heat generated by the computer itself which is directed straight at the testicles but also the knees together position used to balance the laptop has an effect. It takes only 20 minutes of sitting with the knees together for testicular temperature to rise to a level that adversely affects sperm. 6. Drink plenty of water. Semen is 98% water. If you're a bit dehydrated your body directs what water it has to your heart, your brain, your liver, your lungs - the major organs - and your reproductive system is way down the pecking order. Aim for 1.5 to 2 litres a day. 7. Take your mobile phone out of your Armani trouser pocket, George. Further research in this area is needed but initial evidence suggests that men who carried their mobile phones in their trouser pockets had reduced motility and sperm count. Put it in your jacket pocket instead and store it off your body altogether whenever you can. 8. Ejaculate regularly. Not a problem usually for newlyweds, but if work schedules take you far apart or if you've been trying for a while and sex has become a chore it can become an issue. It does no good to store up sperm and in fact the more you ejaculate the more you stimulate the testes to produce new, young, fit, healthy sperm which are more likely to be capable of fertilisation. Article: 29th September 2014 www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Do mobile phones affect sperm and male fertility?

A review of the evidence, by the University of Exeter, suggested sperm number and movement were affected by keeping mobile phones in pockets. However, one sperm scientist said the evidence was still too sketchy and his phone was staying in his pocket. The study, published in the journal Environment International, suggested electromagnetic radiation was to blame. It analysed 10 separate studies on sperm quality involving 1,492 men. These included laboratory tests on sperm exposed to mobile phone radiation and questionnaires of men at fertility clinics. Lead researcher Dr Fiona Mathews told the BBC that all but one of the studies showed a link between mobile phone exposure and poorer sperm quality. She added: "The studies are coming out with a consistent message that sperm motility declines with exposure to mobile telephones and similarly proportion which are alive, it's about an eight percentage point fall. "I think for your average man there's certainly no need to panic, if you already know you have a potential fertility issue then it might be an additional thing to consider - just as you might change your diet - you might want to change where you keep your phone." She acknowledged criticisms from other scientists about the quality of the evidence saying she "absolutely calls for more research". Dr Mathews concluded: "This is interesting, but we're obviously not saying that everyone who carries a phone in their pocket is going to become infertile." How sperm would be damaged by mobile phones is unclear. Ideas include radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from the phone disrupting the cycle of sperm production or damaging the DNA. Another suggestion is that heat either directly from the phone or through the radiation, may affect the sperm. 'Crazy' Dr Allan Pacey, from Sheffield University, who researches sperm, remains unconvinced, saying the quality of the evidence is poor and he would not change where he kept his phone. He told the BBC: "There has been concern for some time about whether keeping a mobile phone in a trouser pocket might affect semen quality and male fertility in some way. "There have been some crazy and alarming headlines, but, in my opinion, the studies undertaken to date have been somewhat limited in scope because they have either irradiated sperm kept in a dish or they have made assessments of men's phone habits without adequately controlling for confounding variables, such as other aspects of their lifestyle. "What we need are some properly designed epidemiological studies where mobile phone use is considered alongside other other lifestyle habits. "Until that time, I will be continuing to keep my iPhone in my right-hand trouser pocket!" Article: 10th June 2014 www.bbc.co.uk/news

New male home fertility test may be available from next year

Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind portable fertility test kit that allows men to monitor the quality of their sperm from the privacy of their own homes, and it may be available by early next year. The fertility test developed by scientists from Sandia National Laboratories could gauge a man's sperm quality within a few minutes. According to researchers, Greg Sommer and Ulrich Schaff, the diagnostic kit allows men to self-test for sperm quality in just five minutes with a few drops of semen. "It allows men to test and track their fertility from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. It's a portable, easy-to-use diagnostic system with the accuracy of a clinical lab test," Sommer told the Albuquerque Journal. Researchers said the device, called TrakFertility, could be available in the market by early 2015, after the company receives regulatory approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device would provide an ongoing home diagnostic for men to regularly monitor semen quality as they take steps to improve fertility, researchers said. "It would be like using a scale to follow weight, only in this case, men would track changes in their fertility," Sommer said. The company is also developing a mobile app to help men track and analyse the results of their tests and communicate about them with their doctors. Sommer said the goal is to broaden today's focus on women's fertility to include the other side of the equation. "We want to help people conceive in a way never done before," he said. "The market today is completely focused on females to monitor hormones, temperatures and so forth for peak fertility windows each month. But one of every five men has low-sperm counts that can impair conception," said Sommer. Article: 28th April 2014 www.financialexpress.com

11 Myths doctors hear about fertility and getting pregnant

Many couples spend years trying not to get pregnant, so it's only understandable that they may have a few issues when it comes to trying to have a child. Just like when you become a parent, there is no written manual on how to get pregnant. For one in six couples, infertility issues are an obstacle to parenthood. Infertility does not discriminate. We see patients of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. They are smart, hard-working and determined to have a family. However, many do not understand their personal fertility and the factors that affect fertility potential. During National Infertility Awareness Week, we turn our efforts to helping those who hope for a family. The more that men and women know about the realities of fertility, the more effectively they can have a baby, often without our help. These are the most common misconceptions we hear during patient appointments. 1. 'He doesn't have any fertility problems; he's already a dad.' Contrary to popular belief, male fertility is finite. Similar to female fertility, male fertility decreases with age, particularly after age 40. Researchers have found a direct link between paternal age and an increased risk of autism and schizophrenia. Men pass along as many as four times more genetic mutations compared with mothers. As a man ages, the concentration of mobile, healthy semen and semen volume overall will decrease. 2. 'All the women in my family had more babies in their 40s, so I am fine.' Although family fertility history is taken into account during treatment, it can neither help nor hinder fertility potential. Previous successful pregnancies also do not signify a bump-free conception route. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11% of couples experience secondary infertility, which is defined as a couple with a child being unable to conceive again after a year. Once a woman hits 40, there is a less than 5% chance (PDF) she will get pregnant in any given month (compared with 20% at age 30). 3. 'I smoke, but I don't have to give it up until I'm pregnant.' The American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that up to 13% of female infertility diagnoses are due to smoking. Believe it or not, smoking as few as five cigarettes a day each has been associated with lower fertility rates in both men and women. 4. 'We have sex within 24 hours after ovulation.' After ovulation has ended, becoming pregnant is impossible. Ovulation -- when an egg drops from the ovary into the fallopian tubes -- occurs once a month, roughly seven to 10 days before a woman's period. For pregnancy to occur, sperm must meet an egg during this one- to two-day time period. To boost your odds, have sex before and during ovulation, as sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for three days. If a woman's monthly cycles are irregular, visit a specialist to discuss ovulation. Ovulatory disorders are the most common infertility diagnosis for women. 5. 'I don't have to worry about my eggs until I'm 40.' At birth, a woman has 7 million eggs, which slims down to 400,000 at the onset of puberty. During a woman's lifetime, approximately 400 to 500 eggs will be released. As a woman ages, the ovarian reserve declines. A woman's egg supply takes a rapid decline in the late 20s, again in the 30s and then most notably after age 35. 6. 'I do yoga and exercise. I'm in great shape. Age won't affect my fertility.' A healthy body and mind can boost fertility, but it cannot reverse the age of ovaries and semen. For both men and women, age is a critical component of fertility potential. 7. 'I know we could stand to lose weight, but ...' When men or women carry extra weight, hormonal shifts occur in the body that can affect ovulation and semen production. The great news is that couples can team up to lose weight, become active together and boost their fertility. Although it is estimated that 70% of women with infertility are also obese, losing as little as 5% to 10% of body weight can boost fertility in men and women. 8. 'Only women need to take supplements before a pregnancy.' It has long been known that women should take folic acid to prevent certain birth defects, but folic acid is now known to be an important supplement in male fertility. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that men had a higher rate of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm when their diet was low in folic acid. Coenzyme Q10 has also been found to increase sperm count and sperm motility, and vitamin E also improves low sperm count. 9. 'STDs affect my health, but they don't affect trying to have a baby.' For both men and women, sexually transmitted diseases can affect the ability to have children. STDs can cause scarring and blockage of the male reproductive structures. If STDs go untreated in women, they can lead to an episode of pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a leading cause of infertility. 10. 'It doesn't matter how much coffee I drink.' Believe it or not, that venti at Starbucks might be working against you. One study found that "women who consumed more than the equivalent of one cup of coffee per day were half as likely to become pregnant, per cycle, as women who drank less." Caffeine can decrease fertility, so be sure to limit intake. It's better to opt for decaffeinated or half-caffeinated coffee, and remember there is caffeine in tea, colas and chocolate. 11. 'We have sex every single day so we can get pregnant faster.' Having sex every day only slightly increases pregnancy when compared with having sex every other day, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. If a man has a normal sperm count, sperm concentration does not decrease during daily sex. Article: 22nd April 2014 www.cnn.com

Chemicals in plastics may be a threat to male fertility

To study the impact of everyday chemicals on fertility, federal researchers recently spent four years tracking 501 couples as they tried to have children. One of the findings stood out: while both men and women were exposed to known toxic chemicals, men seemed much more likely to suffer fertility problems as a result. The gender gap was particularly wide when it came to phthalates, those ubiquitous compounds used to make plastics more flexible and cosmetic lotions slide on more smoothly. Women who wore cosmetics often had higher levels of phthalates in their bodies, as measured by urinalysis. But only in their male partners were phthalate levels correlated with infertility. “It’s the males in the study that are driving the effect,” said Germaine Buck Louis, an epidemiologist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and lead author of the report, published in February in Fertility and Sterility. “They’re the signal.” Phthalates belong to a group of industrial compounds known as endocrine disruptors because they interfere with the endocrine system, which governs the production and distribution of hormones in the body. The chemicals have been implicated in a range of health problems, including birth defects, cancers and diabetes. But it is their effect on the human reproductive system that has most worried researchers. A growing body of work over the last two decades suggests that phthalates can rewire the male reproductive system, interfering with the operation of androgenic hormones, such as testosterone, that play key roles in male development. That mechanism, some experts believe, explains findings that link phthalate exposure to changes in everything from testicular development to sperm quality. “I wasn’t surprised at all by this finding,” Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas, and editor in chief of the journal Endocrinology, said of the new report. “We see the cell studies, the animal studies and now the human epidemiology work, and they are all showing us a similar picture.” The focus on male fertility dates back to the early 1990s, when researchers in the United States and Europe published a paper suggesting chemical exposures could be linked to a steady decline in semen quality. One of the authors, Niels Skakkebaek, a reproduction researcher at the University of Copenhagen, has since suggested that an increase in malformations in male reproductive systems, which he calls “testicular dysgenesis syndrome,” may be linked to environmental exposure to compounds including endocrine disruptors like phthalates. More recent studies in the United States have also suggested links between phthalate exposure and apparent sperm damage in men. The findings are supported by a host of animal studies, particularly in rats, which have shown that the compounds can interfere with masculinization of young animals and result in odd physical changes to male reproductive tracts. “They interfere with how testosterone is made,” explained Heather Patisaul, a biology professor at North Carolina State University who is studying the effect of endocrine-disrupting compounds during puberty. “Anything you can think of that’s testosterone-dependent is likely to be affected.” Women also have androgenic hormones, but to a lesser degree, and according to some theories this accounts for the smaller but still observable effects of phthalates on female fertility. (Testosterone, for instance, is part of the cascade of hormones that leads to egg production.) There are plenty of uncertainties in this picture. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that while studies suggest that phthalate exposure is “widespread in the U.S. population,” it’s difficult to know what those levels are. Health effects from very low levels are still not well understood. While the “evidence for an effect on male fertility is compelling,” said Tracey Woodruff, director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San Francisco, it’s still difficult to gauge the impact. “We are still pulling the tricky aspects together.” There are different kinds of phthalates complicating the picture; some seem to have a much larger effect than others. And these are far from the only factors, chemical and otherwise, that influence human fertility. Dr. Buck Louis’s group is looking at a broad range of industrial compounds, including heavy metals like lead and cadmium, that tend to accumulate in the body. Phthalates, by contrast, tend to be metabolized within a few hours. Their impact would not be so profound if it were not that people are constantly exposed from multiple sources. These include not only cosmetics and plastics, but also packaging, textiles, detergents and other household products. Phthalates are found in the tubing used in hospitals to deliver medications; enteric coatings on pills, including some aspirin; materials used to create time-release capsules; and countless other products. In 2008, the government banned them in children’s toys, and the European Union is also moving forward on restrictions. “The W.H.O. called them ‘pseudopersistent’ in one report,” Dr. Woodruff said, because continued exposure keeps phthalates in the body. But here’s the silver lining: the transient nature of these compounds also means that consumers can take fairly simple measures to reduce their phthalate levels. One is to read the labels on cosmetics and other personal care products and to choose those without phthalates. Another is to be cautious with plastic food containers, and to avoid using them to heat food and drink, as the phthalates in them may get transferred to what you consume. “These compounds leach from plastics,” Dr. Buck Louis said. “You can switch to glass for drinking. You can cook your frozen dinners on paper plates.” Studies have shown that these kinds of actions do make a difference; experiments have found measurably lower levels within several days in people who make these changes. “Lifestyle has an important place here,” said Dr. Buck Louis. Article: 21st March 2014 www.well.blogs.nytimes.com

Older fathers more likely to have 'mutant sperm'

They say that older fathers have a higher risk of fathering a child with a disorder such as autism or schizophrenia. An increasing body of evidence is showing that as a man ages, his sperm becomes poorer quality. This is because mutations cause stem cells in the testicles to divide abnormally, resulting in an increasing proportion of mutant sperm as men age, New Scientist reports. Some studies have even linked having an older father to Alzheimer's disease, bipolar disorder (previously known as manic depression), heart disease and cancer. Now, scientists warn that a man in his 40s is twice as likely to pass down potentially disease-forming genetic mutations as a man in his 20s - indicating that the biological clock ticks for men, too. Plenty of high-profile men have become late-life fathers, including Steve Martin at 67, David at 53 and Des O'Connor, who became a father for the fifth time at 72. For decades, scientists have speculated about links between older fathers and birth defects. But it was only recently that a groundbreaking study, published in the respected journal Nature, proved that men undoubtedly pass on more genetic mutations to their children as they get older. Read more ... Test your sperm count at www.prideangel.com

Lack of sleep affects male fertility by lowering sperm count

We know that sleep issues can take a toll on a man's sex life, but now a new study shows another sex-related reason to get enough Zzzs. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, shows an association between sleep disturbances and decreased sperm count. Specifically, Danish researchers found that the men in the study who reported the most sleep disturbances had a 29 percent lower concentration of sperm in their semen, as well as a higher likelihood of having "fewer morphologically normal spermatozoa," compared with men who had lower scores on a sleep disturbance questionnaire. The findings are based on semen and blood samples, as well as sleep disturbance questionnaire results, from 953 young men from Denmark who were being recruited for the military from 2008 to 2011. "This study adds another suspect to the list of factors possibly influencing male fecundity potential, which also includes (being) overweight, exposure to tobacco smoke, exposure to pollutants," Dr. Remy Slama, who is a fertility expert at France's Joseph Fourier University, told The Telegraph. And poor sleep doesn't just affect men's fertility -- HuffPost blogger Dr. Michael Breus notes that sleep can also have an impact on women's fertility by affecting levels of ovulation-regulating hormones. Article: 29th April 2013 www.huffingtonpost.com

Men who wear kilts are more fertile and have better sperm

In addition to this, there has been a remarkable decline in fertility rates across the industrialised world. Although the reasons for this are many and complex, it is thought that a reduction in sperm quality has played a role. It is not fully understood why sperm quality is deteriorating but changes in lifestyle and increased pollution have been suggested as possible factors. But, the new research, published in the Scottish Medical Journal, could provide men with a solution to their poor quality sperm. It said that since the 80s scientists have linked tight-fitting underwear to impaired male fertility. This was proven in 1990 when experts were able to show that tight pants increased the temperature deep inside the testicles. They also found that the tightness had more of an effect than the style of the underwear. Experts say that tight-fitting pants are partly responsible for declining fertility On average, wearing tight undergarments increased the temperature of the air surrounding the testicles by 3.5 degrees celcius. For these reasons air exchange around the testicles should be promoted. Dr Erwin Kompanje, who wrote the review, said: ‘Kilt wearing likely produces an ideal physiological scrotal environment , which in turn helps maintain normal scrotal temperature, which is known to be beneficial for robust spermotaogenesis (sperm production) and good sperm quality’. He added that a recent study found that there are even more serious effects of not airing a man's groin. Not only did it slow production, but it caused the testicles to produce substandard sperm which could not swim to fertilise the egg and produce normal embryos. The study said: It seems plausible that men should wear skirts and avoid trousers, at least during the period during which they plan to conceive children.’ The Scottish kilt is a male garment that resembles a knee-length skirt. Depictions of men wearing the kilt date back to the 17th century. Nowadays it tends only to be worn for special occasions. However, the study said that there are moves to reintroduce the kilt as a casual form of clothing, even outside of Scotland. The study added that wearing a kilt provides strong psychological benefits too as ‘it will get you noticed no matter where you are’. It said: 'Research has shown that wearing a kilt gives a man a strong sense of masculinity and freedom. Many women are attracted to men in kilts.' It added: ‘It also gives a man a sensuous awareness of his body’. However despite the research pointing to Scottish men being more fertile than most, statistical data has in fact shown that sperm quality is declining in Scotland. Recent data has also shown that Scotland falls many European countries with the rest of the United Kingdom, Belgium and Scandinavia outperforming them. According to Eurostat, who complied the data, Iceland is the most fertile county in Europe while Slovakia is the least. Article: 18th April 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

'Snowballs' cooling pants to help improve male fertility

For men who are trying to conceive a baby the ideal environment in which to store their little swimmers is one cooled to a temperature slightly below core body heat. So now one forward-thinking Morocco-based man (who has suffered fertility problems of his own) has invented a pair of men's underpants that keep things downstairs chilly in order to maximise the chances of conceiving. American Josh Shoemake's patented 'Snowballs' pants come with a special integrated pocket that cools a man's nether regions in effort to boost his sperm count. Shoemake, 38, a full-time writer who was headmaster of The American School of Tangier for 5 years, himself spent lots of money and suffered endless heartache going through the 'fertility factory' with his wife. Originally from Virginia, Shoemake came up with the idea for Snowballs after a friend of his was told by a doctor to cool his genitals in order to help him conceive a baby. On his Kickstarter webpage - through which he is attempting to net US$20,000 (£13,361) of funding before 4 April in order to produce and market the underpants - Shoemake explains how he and his friend became obsessed with the idea of how heat affects male fertility. He says: 'It was my friend and his wife who really provided the breakthrough. It had been a painful year. There had been a silent miscarriage after two years of trying, and the best doctor that money could buy had said that their chances were now zero.' Shoemake continues: 'They ignored his advice and saw another doctor, and then another, until finally one gynecologist took the time to sit down with them and listen carefully. 'Almost immediately, he had a new plan. First, my friend should begin icing his balls. Huh? And then he should have himself tested for a varicocele. Again, huh?' Varicoceles are enlarged veins in the scrotum that bring more blood and raise scrotal temperatures. When Shoemake's friend began icing his testicles, he and his wife conceived a daughter. Speaking to MailOnline, Shoemake said: The studies showing that icing works are pretty recent, and we're just starting out, but there is no doubt that heat kills sperm, and that icing prevents that. 'I imagine we'll have some additional testimonials pretty soon, but in fertility science, like in most science, it's difficult to isolate any one factor. 'As we say on the site: "We believe in miracles, but don't count on Snowballs to work 'miracles'. They should increase both sperm quality and quantity, and they should give you a better chance to conceive at minimal cost, but fertility science is complex, and you'll also want to consult with a urologist (for varicoceles), as well as your fertility specialist.' If Shoemake accrues enough funding, each order of Snowballs will include three pair of specially designed underwear, three unique SnowWedges™, and a guide to what else you can be doing to maximize your chances at fatherhood. Market price will be somewhere between $65 and $80 (£43-£53), and those who donate on Kickstarter will receive a discount. Article: 13th March 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

Lazy men have lazy sperm, new study reveals

Young men who watch TV for just three hours a day have half the sperm count of men rarely found in front of the box, warn researchers. For the first time, a study shows falling sperm quality is linked to lower levels of physical activity. Men who are mostly sedentary lose out to those who are moderately active, says the Harvard University study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Experts say the effect could be due to lack of exercise, or to overheating of the testicles caused by prolonged sitting. Men wanting to father a child are currently urged against wearing tight underpants to improve sperm quality, while drivers and cyclists may also be at risk. In the latest study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), healthy young men who watched more than 20 hours of TV each week had a 44 per cent lower sperm count than those who watched almost no TV. Men who exercised for 15 or more hours weekly at a moderate to vigorous rate had a 73 per cent higher sperm count than those who exercised less than five hours per week. Mild exercise did not affect sperm quality. Study leader Dr Audrey Gaskins said ‘We know very little about how lifestyle may impact semen quality and male fertility in general so identifying two potentially modifiable factors that appear to have such a big impact on sperm counts is truly exciting,’ The researchers analysed the semen quality of 189 men between the ages of 18 to 22 participating in the Rochester Young Men’s Study during 2009-2010 at the University of Rochester. The men were asked about their physical activity and how much time they spent watching TV, DVDs or videos over the previous three months, in addition to health issues that may affect their sperm quality, such as diet, stress levels, and smoking. Over half the men were of normal weight, and levels of diagnosed infertility were low. The amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity taken each week ranged from five to 14 hours, while weekly TV screen time varied from four to 20 hours. Those who watched most TV, 20 hours or more, had a sperm count almost half that of men watching the least, and TV viewing seemed to cancel out the benefits of exercise. Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the study and assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, said: ‘The majority of the previous studies on physical activity and semen quality had focused on professional marathon runners and cyclists, who reach physical activity levels that most people in the world cannot match. ‘We were able to examine a range of physical activity that is more relevant to men in the general population.’ However, he added, while a reduced sperm count has been linked to lower fertility, it does not necessarily ruin a man’s chances of fathering a child. Men who exercise were found to have much higher sperm counts than those who shirk physical activity Dr Allan Pacey, Senior Lecturer in Andrology, University of Sheffield, said ‘The results are intriguing and suggest that men who do regular exercise have higher sperm counts than men who watch a lot of television. ‘On the face of it, this seems like a well conducted study albeit with a relatively small number of participants. ‘Having said that, the authors appear to have used good methodology and have attempted to control for all of the obvious variables that might differ between the two groups of men (e.g. diet, smoking, Body Mass Index). ‘Their conclusions are plausible, and I would agree that there is evidence to suggest that moderate exercise could change men’s physiology sufficiently to improve testicular health. ‘Similarly, we already know that testicular heating through sedentary jobs or tight underwear can decrease sperm counts and so arguably the same effect might be seen in men who spend too many hours on the sofa watching television. ‘However, it remains to be seen if coaxing a TV watching couch potato into doing some regular exercise could actually improve his sperm count. 'Or whether there exists an unknown fundamental difference between men who like exercise and those who do not which might account for the findings. ‘This should be a relatively easy study to perform, but before all worried men hunt for their sports bag it’s important to note that other research suggests that doing too much exercise can be harmful to sperm production and this study did not examine the type and intensity of exercise their participants were undertaking. ‘My advice would be everything in moderation - and that includes time in the gym as well as watching TV, or perhaps both at the same time!’ Article: 7th February 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk How's your sperm count? get it tested using a simple male sperm count test.

Looking for a sperm donor? make sure he has lots of brothers

If you are seeking a man who will give you a big family, first make sure you count how many brothers he has. The greater the number of male siblings your husband has, the more fertile he is likely to be, scientists say. They have discovered that men with mostly brothers are likely to be more productive. The findings, published in the Asian Journal of Andrology, also support the theory that parents with genes for good male fertility are more likely to have boys. Normally, in Britain 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. Experts from the University of Sheffield assessed 500 men and compared the travelling speed of their sperm with their family make-up. Dr Allan Pacey, one of the researchers from the University of Sheffield, said: ‘We found the greater number of brothers rather than sisters a man has, the faster his sperm is, increasing the likelihood of fertility. Lots of brothers is also an indication that the man’s parents have strong male fertility genes, and they would then be passed on to the son. ‘The results are very surprising and could provide genetic insights into why some men are more fertile than others.’ The research did not give any clues as to how to treat male infertility, Dr Pacey said. ‘It does, however, give food for thought about the importance of genetics for sperm motility and may open the way to more studies in this area,’ he added. Sperm activity or ‘motility’ is known to be a major factor influencing male fertility. Jon Slate, professor of evolutionary genetics at the University of Sheffield, said: ‘We are very intrigued by this finding and hope other researchers examine their data sets in a similar fashion. ‘If our results can be replicated we think it provides some evidence that humans have experienced what evolutionary biologists like to call “sexual conflict”. The idea behind this is that genes that make males reproductively successful make females reproductively unsuccessful, and vice versa.’ The researchers said it did not mean men with a large number of sisters should worry, and they did not look at whether women with lots of sisters are likely to be more fertile, as it is much more difficult to measure. But Dr Jim Mossman, postdoctoral researcher at Brown University in the US, who led the study, said the findings may indicate that women with lots of female siblings are likely to be more fertile. ‘This is certainly not a smoking gun as a reason for infertility in men,’ he said. ‘However, it would be interesting to test whether the same relationships are observed in other human populations as well as in other species. Likewise, would we observe similar associations when looking at female fertility? ‘If the relationship between sex-bias in the number of children and fertility is a more universal phenomenon, then we may expect female fertility to follow a similar pattern, albeit in the opposite direction.’ Article: 19th December 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

The length of a man's sperm affects fertility

Men have a better chance of having children if they have semen teeming with strong-swimmers. Now fertility experts say they have found a good indicator of what makes sperm good movers in the first place. A study from Brown University in Rhode Island, found sperm that had tails of a similar length were better able to travel than those with tails of varying lengths. The team led by James Mossmon were surprised to find that tail consistency trumped average length. The findings add to our understanding of why some couples struggle to have children. Around one in six couples may have difficulty conceiving in the UK - which is around 3.5million people. Couples are recommended to visit their GP if they have not conceived after one year of trying, or sooner if the woman is aged over 35. For the study, researchers from Brown University in Rhode Island examined the semen of 103 men attending an infertility clinic at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. They found that the wider the variation of sperm length in samples, the lower the concentration of motile sperm. The variation in tail length was found to be the most crucial factor. Writing in the journal Human Reproduction, the scientists said: 'Sperm length measurements may provide a useful insight into testis function and the efficiency of spermatogenesis (sperm cell development).' It is another piece in the jigsaw that explains why only one per cent of the 300million sperm released by a man during sex manages to reach their partner's uterus, while just a few dozen reach the egg. Research published earlier this year from the University of Warwick and University of Birmingham revealed sperm has an appalling sense of direction. The team injected sperm cells into hair-thin microchannels to study how they behaved in confined spaces. They found sperm avoid the 'middle lane' of the female reproductive tract and instead crawl along the channel walls. They also struggle to turn sharp corners and crash into the walls and each other in a scene reminiscent of a demolition derby. Only one sperm enters a woman's ovum as afterwards the cell membrane of the egg hardens and the remaining sperm die. Article: 18th December 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Male Sperm Counts drop by a third since 1990s

Male fertility under threat as sperm counts drop within past two decades. A comprehensive study into the reproductive health of 26,600 men found sperm concentration has decreased by a third since the 1990s. The findings are so significant experts have warned action must now be taken to avoid significant fertility problems and the average family size decreasing. The study, which was carried out in France, found there had been a ''significant and continuous'' 32.2 per cent decrease in sperm concentration over 17 years. Numbers of sperm per millilitre of semen fell at about two per cent a year between 1989 and 2005, with researchers calculating the average 35-year-old man would see his sperm count reduced from around 73.6 million per millilitre of semen to 49.9 million. At the same time, the proportion of normally formed sperm declined by about a third. Writing in the journal Human Reproduction, the French authors said the study was the first to identify a long-term ''severe and general decrease'' in sperm concentration and quality at the scale of a whole country. They added: ''This constitutes a serious public health warning. The link with the environment particularly needs to be determined.'' The scientists analysed data from semen samples collected from 126 fertility clinics throughout France. All the couples involved were seeking treatment because of female problems rather than obvious difficulties linked to sperm. Dr Joelle Le Moal, one of the researchers from the Institut de Veille Sanitaire in Saint Maurice, said: ''The decline in semen concentration shown in our study means that the average values we have for 2005 fall within the 'fertile' range for men according the definition of the World Health Organisation. "However, this is just an average, and there were men in the study who fell beneath the WHO values. ''The 2005 values are lower than the 55 million per millilitre threshold, below which sperm concentration is expected to influence the time it takes to conceive.'' More promisingly, the study also showed the proportion of active or ''motile'' sperm rose slightly from 49.5 per cent to 53.6 per cent. The findings support other research showing similar drops in sperm concentration and quality in recent years. Some studies have suggested that environmental factors, such as endocrine disrupters - chemicals that upset hormone balances in the body - might be behind the trend. Dr Le Moal said: ''Impairments in the quality of human gametes (male sperm and female eggs) can be considered as critical biomarkers of effects for environmental stresses, including endocrine disrupters. Firstly, this is because gametes are the very first cells from which human beings are built up during their lifetimes. ''According to the theories about the developmental origins of health and diseases, early exposures may have an impact on adult health.'' These effects can be passed down generations by the way they impact inherited DNA, she added. A national monitoring system to assess French sperm quality is now being planned by the scientists. Professor Richard Sharpe, from the University of Edinburgh, said: ''The take-home message from the study is extremely simple - sperm number and sperm quality has declined progressively over the study period. ''In the UK this issue has never been viewed as any sort of health priority, perhaps because of doubts as to whether 'falling sperm counts' was real. Now, there can be little doubt that it is real, so it is a time for action. "Doing nothing will ensure that couple fertility and average family size will decline below even its present low level and place ever greater strains on society.'' Article: 6th December 2012 www.telegraph.co.uk

Wearing tight Y-fronts really does affect sperm counts

UK study has shown that men with unhealthy lifestyles produce as much swimming sperm as those living more sensibly. But those who wore tight underwear instead of loose boxer shorts and did manual work had lower sperm counts. Under current guidelines, GPs are supposed to warn men diagnosed with infertility of the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs. Infertile men are also urged to avoid being overweight. In some cases, fertility treatment is delayed to allow couples time to improve their lifestyles. But the new research suggests none of these factors has much impact on the number of swimming sperm a man produces. Co-author Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, said men should still take care of themselves, without feeling the need to ''become monks''. '''In spite of our results, it's important that men continue to follow sensible health advice and watch their weight, stop smoking and drink alcohol within sensible limits. But there is no need for them to become monks just because they want to be a dad. "Although if they are a fan of tight Y-fronts, then switching underpants to something a bit looser for a few months might be a good idea.'' Scientists recruited 2,249 men from 14 fertility clinics around the UK and asked them to fill out detailed lifestyle questionnaires. Information was then compared from 939 men who produced low numbers of swimming sperm and 1,310 men who produced higher numbers. The results, reported in the journal Human Reproduction, showed that men with poor quality sperm were 2.5 times more likely to have had testicular surgery, and twice as likely to be of black ethnicity. They were also 1.3 times more likely to do manual work, not wear loose boxer shorts, or not to have had a previous conception. But men's use of tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs made little difference, as did their weight as measured by body mass index (BMI). Study leader Dr Andrew Povey, from the University of Manchester, said: ''Despite lifestyle choices being important for other aspects of our health, our results suggest that many lifestyle choices probably have little influence on how many swimming sperm they ejaculate. For example, whether the man was a current smoker or not was of little importance. The proportion of men who had low numbers of swimming sperm was similar whether they had never been a smoker or a smoker who was currently smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day. ''Similarly, there was little evidence of any risk associated with alcohol consumption. ''This potentially overturns much of the current advice given to men about how they might improve their fertility and suggests that many common lifestyle risks may not be as important as we previously thought. ''Delaying fertility treatment then for these couples so that they can make changes to their lifestyles, for which there is little evidence of effectiveness, is unlikely to improve their chances of a conception and, indeed, might be prejudicial for couples with little time left to lose.'' The number of swimming sperm broadly correlates with how fertile a man is likely to be. It also often determines the type of fertility treatment that is offered. Fellow expert Professor Nicola Cherry, formerly at the University of Manchester and now with the University of Alberta in Canada, added: ''The higher risk we found in manual workers is consistent with earlier findings that chemicals at work could affect sperm and that men should continue to keep work exposures as low as possible.'' Article: 13th June 2012 www.telegraph.co.uk

Male fertility gel being developed by scientists to help sperm

Scientists are now using the compounds to develop a new gel they hope will increase the chance of couples conceiving naturally without the need for expensive treatments such as IVF.
Male fertility has been largely overlooked until recently with most treatments requiring women to take medication or undergo expensive and invasive procedures. Up to half of the problems suffered by couples trying to conceive, however, are due to the man's fertility.

Now research into a key aspect of male fertility - how sperm cells swim - has enabled scientists at the University of Birmingham to identify potential new treatments that can "supercharge" men's reproductive cells. The scientists have discovered chemical compounds that increase the swimming ability of sperm cells and they believe this can help to boost the number of cells capable of reaching a woman's egg.

They are now using the compounds to develop a new gel they hope will increase the chance of couples conceiving naturally without the need for expensive treatments such as IVF. Their research could also help doctors to select healthier cells for use in assisted conception like IVF and intrauterine insemination.

Dr Jackson Kirkman-Brown, a senior lecturer in reproductive biology at the University of Birmingham and director of the Centre for Human Reproductive Science in Birmingham, said: "Fertility treatments basically involve helping sperm to reach the egg.

"The majority of these involve doing something quite invasive to the woman, often even though she may be perfectly healthy. "If you can give the man's sperm a little more va-va-voom, you could help fertility in a far less invasive way and it would be far cheaper. "We now have some compounds, that are in the early stages of testing, which can make more sperm will swim through cervical mucus, which means you would get more sperm into the uterus. This should increase natural fertility."

Approximately one in six couples have difficulty conceiving and around 3.5 million people are thought to be affected in the UK. Although the majority do eventually conceive naturally, around 50,000 couples undergo fertility treatment each year. Current fertility treatments such as IVF cost thousands of pounds while requiring the woman to take powerful medication and undergo invasive procedures to extract and implant eggs.

Yet only a third of all fertility problems suffered by couples are due to women - the rest lie with the male partner or an unknown cause. There have also been some recent concerns that male infertility is increasing as studies have shown that up to a quarter of young men have poor quality semen.

Dr Kirkman-Brown and his colleagues have now extensively studied what influences the motility, or movement, of sperm cells. They have found that the most successful cells move in a specific way where they flick their tails in a whip-like motion. This motion is thought to be controlled by spikes and dips in the levels of calcium inside the cells.

They are now applying for a patent for a number of molecules that can help increase this whip-like motion with the intention of incorporating them into a gel that can be used by couples during sex to increase their chance of conceiving. The compounds have proved successful in the laboratory but have yet to be used in any kind of clinical trial.

Other recent findings by the team have revealed that sperm cells crawl rather than swim towards the uterus, which may help to doctors select the most successful cells for use in more traditional fertility treatments. Dr Kirkman-Brown said: "Sperm have to make their way through quite a difficult environment. On that scale it would be equivalent to us trying to swim through cold syrup or butter.

"Only a small number of sperm have the correct properties or ability to swim through that environment and we have found that those that can do that, swim very efficiently, with a distinct way of crawling along the walls. "If you can give them something that makes them swim better, then you can give nature a helping hand. What the compounds we are developing do is effectively switch more sperm into the right kind of motility to get through this environment. "We are still in the early stages and but it is showing a lot of promise."

Dr Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield and chairman of the British Fertility Society, said that male fertility has made little progress in the past and so has often been overlooked as a source of new treatments. He said: "Men get a bad deal when it comes to infertility treatments. Faced with a diagnosis that their sperm quality is poor, there is sadly very little that men can do to reverse the situation.

"Years of research has failed to come up with anything to help them, so there is nothing proven that can be offered to them. In spite of this we should not give up searching for something. "It vital to carry out the necessary basic research to understand the problem, but unfortunately all too often this area is not considered a high priority for funding alongside issues such as cancer research. "Any new compound, however, would need to be shown to be effective through a proper randomised controlled trial."

Men check your fertility with our sperm count test.

Men over 40 urged to consider their biological fertility clock

MEN are being urged to pay more attention to their biological clocks as research shows those aged over 40 are at higher risk of having a child with autism and birth defects.
As the average age of Australian fathers continues to increase, reproductive health experts are calling for men to learn more about their fertility and the risks of older fatherhood.

Dr Karin Hammarberg, a researcher with the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA), said that while most children are born healthy, large studies of parental age were starting to show higher rates of birth defects and autism in children born to men over 40.

The review also pointed to a Dutch study of 60,000 births which found children born to men over 40 were three times more likely to have autism and a US study of 5 million births which showed men over 50 had a 15 per cent higher chance of having a baby with birth defects including congenital heart disease and cleft palates.

Dr Hammarberg said research also showed men over 40 had much more trouble getting a woman pregnant and the rate of miscarriage doubled for women when their partner was over 45. The average time to pregnancy for men under 25 is just over 4.5 months but nearly two years for men over 40.

"Fertility talk is always directed at women and somehow men look like innocent bystanders," she said. "Men really need to know that their own age and health will affect their fertility, too."

Between 1990 and 2010, the median age of Australian fathers increased from 31 to 34 while more men in their late 50s and early 60s were becoming fathers. In 2010, 777 men aged 55 to 59 fathered a child, up from 674 in 2004 and 516 in 2000. The number of men in their 60s having babies has also increased from 226 in 2000 to 408 in 2010.

The Fertility Coalition, made up of VARTA, Andrology Australia, Jean Hailes for Women's Health and the Robinson Institute, will launch a website today to teach Australians about fertility. See yourfertility.org.au

Sperm grown in laboratory in fertility breaththrough

Men suffering from fertility problems have been given renewed hope after a team of scientists were able to grow sperm in a laboratory. In a world's first, scientists have successfully grown mouse sperm in a lab dish and are now hoping they would be able to produce human sperm too.
The team of researchers were led by Professor Stefan Schlatt from Germany’s Muenster University and using just a few cells that are responsible for its production, successfully reproduced mice sperm. They are now hoping they will be able to repeat the technique to produce human sperm, which could then be used in fertility treatments to enable infertile men to father their own children.

Commenting on the research, one Isreali team member, Prof. Mahmoud Huleihel, said: “I believe it will eventually be possible to routinely grow human male sperm to order by extracting tissue containing germ cells from a man’s testicle and stimulating sperm production in the laboratory.” To grow the sperm the scientists wanted to ensure they created conditions that were as similar to those found in the testicles as possible.

As a result, the germ cells were surrounded by agar jelly and grown in an environment with a temperature that was just below the normal body temperature of humans. Professors Schlatt and Huleihel along with their teams are now trying to emulate the results in human sperm “as quickly as possible.”

"We have already applied the same tests as we did with mice in the laboratory, using human cells, but as yet have not had success,” Huleihel noted. “We are confident that if it can be done in a mammal such as a mouse it can be done in humans.”

He added: “We are experimenting with a number of different compounds to get the germ cells to grow into sperm. And we believe it will be possible. And, hopefully, soon.” The work carried out by the research group has received high praise from a number of fertility experts.

One of the UK’s leading fertility scientists, Professor Richard Sharpe, who is based at Edinburgh University, is hoping to get involved with the project in the near future. He said: “This is a significant step forward towards making human sperm.”

Meanwhile, one of the NHS’ top consultants in infertility, Stephen Gordon, added: “This is an amazing development that could revolutionise fertility treatment and allow every man to be a natural father. “Infertile men naturally want to be the father of their child but at present have to accept that can't happen,” he said. “With the mouse discovery, that could now be a possibility.”

The results of the research project have been published in a major scientific journal by Nature. Article: 3rd January 2012 www.healthcareglobal.com

Read more about fertility and sperm donation at www.prideangel.com

Men improve your sperm count by eating fruit

Female fertility has previously been linked to obesity, but a Brazilian study has discovered that a poor diet in men can lower sperm concentration and affect their ability to reach the egg.

A new study involving 250 men with partners undergoing IVF reveals that those who regularly drink alcoholand eat a poor diet are less fertile than those who eat a diet high in fruit and grains.

Lead researcher Edson Borges, from the Fertility-Assisted Fertilization Center in Sao Paolo, says: 'The sperm concentration was negatively influenced by body mass index and alcohol consumption, and was positively influenced by cerealconsumption and the number of meals per day.'

The results from the study reveal that, from the speed of their sperm to their partner's chance of pregnancy, men who drank alcohol and ate a poor diet were less fertile.

Lynn Westphal from Stanford University hopes that the study, published in the Fertility and Sterility journal, will encourage men to make healthier lifestyle choices.

'We talk about having a healthylifestyleand trying to eliminate any of these things that are bad for health, but I think most of the emphasis tends to be on making sure the woman is as healthy as possible,' she says.

Article: 22nd December 2011 www.marieclaire.co.uk