In Taiwan, females are often said to be the cause of a couple’s infertility, but a fertility specialist yesterday said that the cause was equally likely to originate in males, as both environmental factors and pressure can cause a decline in sperm quality.
Citing statistics compiled by the Health Promotion Administration, Taipei Veterans General Hospital’s (TVGH) Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility director Li Hsin-yang (李新揚) said about one out of every seven married couples in the nation are facing fertility problems.
“As couples in the nation decide to get married later, I am often approached by couples who have tried in vain to get pregnant for six months or a year. Half the time the problem is with the husband, and half the time with the wife,” Li said.
Both the husband and the wife should undergo tests to determine the real cause of infertility, Li said.
TVGH Division of Male Reproductive Medicine director Huang Chih-hsien (黃志賢) said the most common causes of male infertility include poor semen quality and sexual dysfunction.
“Poor semen quality could refer to low sperm concentration, abnormal sperm morphology or insufficient sperm mobility, while sexual dysfunction could mean erection problems or defective ejaculation,” Huang said.
Huang said men suffering from infertility are more inclined to resort to traditional remedies, such as using male hormone-based creams, which often aggravate rather than assuage the problems.
Li said a man with a low sperm count or low sperm mobility could still become a father via artificial insemination or assisted reproductive technology.
Nevertheless, they are urged to avoid habits that can affect their sperm quality, such as smoking, drinking, staying up late, remaining seated for too long, wearing tight clothes and bathing in hot water too often.
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