Male Factor Infertility

Dr. Ashleigh Lane, ND

Infertility is a one of the greatest struggles a couple can face, and rates continue to rise. Currently, 1 in 6 couples will be diagnosed with infertility, though this number increases significantly with age. The focus, and burden of infertility is so often placed solely on the women, when in reality male factor infertility is responsible for 30-40% of difficulty in conceiving.

Both men and women are tending towards starting families later in life. That, and the increased environmental burdens we face have taken a toll on our ability to conceive naturally. More and more families are being started with the aid of assisted reproductive technologies (IVF, IUI etc.), which are incredibly expensive, time consuming and stressful processes. Of course, there is at times necessity for these procedures, and in those cases they can be miraculous, but often with the correct assessment, diagnosis and commitment to natural treatments for fertility; couples are able to conceive naturally.

Male infertility is caused by a deficiency of sperm, either in formation, concentration or transportation. There are a number of factors that can affect the production of sperm, including chronic diseases, genetic conditions and physical deficiencies but the great majority of dysfunctional sperm production can be reverse with simple interventions. The first, and key step in regaining your fertility is to get yourself tested. Many people will avoid sperm testing as lets face it, it’s awkward and no one wants go through the processes, but remember those stats above, 30-40%! It’s critical that sperm analysis be done at the very beginning of any fertility assessment. Both your MD and ND can run a basic semen analysis for you through Life Labs, and you will quickly see if there are areas of improvement to be made in your sperm health. Aside from basic testing, there are times when more advanced semen analysis may be necessary. Your initial testing and clues from your history will let us know if you are a candidate for advanced testing like DNA Fragmentation and/or immunological testing.

How can Naturopathic Medicine Help?

The best treatment available for male infertility is diet, lifestyle and nutritional supplement. Many of the lifestyle factors that are listed above have a huge impact on your ability to conceive. If you are struggling to give up smoking, decrease your alcohol intake, or manager your stress, we can help put in a plan to support you.

DNA fragmentation occurs as a result of oxidative stress, which means that treatment with antioxidants can be helpful. This includes a diet rich in fruits and veggies, particularly dark coloured greens and berries, as well as supplementation with potent natural antioxidants.

There are many other supplements that have been shown to improve sperm density, quality and motility. Depending on your specific case, your ND may recommend appropriate forms and doses for nutrients like Zinc, L-Carnitine, NAC, and CoQ10 for example. Whatever the treatment, it is important to remember that sperm take about 74 days to mature, so any changes you make will take about that long to improve your results, so start now!