When it comes to infertility, a man is as likely to contribute to difficulty conceiving as a woman, but it’s not uncommon for focus to remain on a woman’s health. A recent Wall Street Journal post looked into surprising causes of male infertility: Too little testosterone, they found, can be related to cigarette smoking, alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs, including painkillers and other medications. But too much of the hormone can play a role in conception problems, too. Other contributors to impaired male fertility include:
- Radiation exposure
- Too much heat on a man’s genitals (see: hot tubs and laptops)
- Injury to a man’s genitals
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Obesity
- Over-exercise
- Environmental causes
Check out these resources specifically aimed at guys wanting to become dads.
In a ConceiveOnline post about improving men’s fertility, Drs. Michael Darder and Susan Treiser advise the following:
- Quitting smoking
- Drinking in moderation, or not at all
- Avoiding heat in the groin area
- Taking magnesium and zinc
And if you’re concerned, say the doctors, it’s time to talk to your physician about hormonal and maybe genetic testing with a fertility specialist and/or a visit to a urologist.
Have you or your partner had trouble conceiving owing to one or more of these reasons?
