Contrary to popular belief, difficulties in conceiving a child are 50 percent. related to male infertility, which is why a woman and a man should be tested for infertility in parallel, doctors said on Thursday at a press conference in Warsaw.
Infertility always concerns a couple, so I appeal to the partners to always diagnose each other together, because it will save them valuable time, which cannot be recovered later – emphasized urologist Prof. Robert Jarema.
At the conference, a nationwide educational campaign was launched under the slogan TATA – the most important word for men, which is to help break social stereotypes about the causes of infertility in couples and encourage men to diagnostic tests and therapies.
As part of the campaign, lasting from September 9 to November 30, free semen quality tests will be held in 11 centers throughout Poland, said Barbara Szczerba from the Association for Infertility Treatment and Adoption Support Our Stork, which is the organizer of the event.
Experts reminded that infertility is already known when the annual efforts to conceive a child have not brought results. Infertility is a disease that has a number in the list of medical conditions. What distinguishes it from infertility is that it can be treated, emphasized urologist and andrology consultant Dr. Jan Karol Wolski. Only 3-5 percent. couples who cannot conceive are sterile, the rest have a reduced fertility potential.
According to calculations by prof. Rafał Kurzawa, chairman of the Fertility and Infertility Section of the Polish Gynecological Society, 1,2-1,3 million couples struggle with infertility in Poland. In 50 percent. cases are responsible for male fertility disorders.
Currently, when a couple has problems conceiving a child, treatment usually begins with a woman, and only when all the possibilities are exhausted, there is a suspicion that the cause may lie with the man – emphasized Prof. Jarema. Meanwhile, the treatment of infertility in men is long-lasting, and after its completion, it may turn out that the partner’s egg reserves have already run out.
Male infertility may be associated with genital infections, operations within the genitourinary system, other diseases, e.g. cardiovascular disease, treatment of cancer, age over 40, but also with lifestyle – smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs, lack of exercise, obesity and poor diet – explained prof. Jarema. Only 12 percent. men who are addicted to alcohol and 6 percent. heavy smokers have normal sperm parameters, such as sperm count and motility. On the other hand, the sons of mothers who smoke during pregnancy have an initial 30 percent. poorer sperm parameters compared to their peers.
The progress of civilization and the pollution of the environment related to it also contributed to the marked decline in human fertility. The number of sperm cells considered normal today is three times lower than 30 years ago. Research indicates that environmental estrogens, such as those found in agricultural pesticides, as well as food additives, contribute to male fertility problems.
In a large percentage (approx. 30%), the causes of male infertility are unknown.
Unfortunately, men delay semen analysis a lot. This is due to the fact that they are ashamed of problems related to infertility and believe that they can affect masculinity – explained psychologist Bogda Pawelec, who has been helping infertile couples for 15 years. Another thing is that the method of obtaining sperm for the test is very embarrassing for men.
The organizers of the campaign hope that it will help convince men that the expression of masculinity is not about fertility problems, but how they deal with them.
Men have already learned to take out the trash, shop and entertain children, now is the time for them to understand that infertility is also a male thing – said the campaign’s ambassador, TV presenter Radosław Brzózka.
More about semen research and the campaign on the association’s website (www.nasz-bocian.pl).