Male infertility affects far more men than most people realise- yet stigma, shame, and outdated ideas about masculinity often keep men from seeking help.
In a recent feature article, Dr Chandrika Parmar, fertility specialist at Genea, spoke about the emotional weight many men carry when they receive an infertility diagnosis. “A lot of men associate their sperm with their masculinity,” she explains, noting that many feel they are “not man enough” when faced with a low sperm count. The article follows sports broadcaster Sam Hargreaves, who was told he had zero sperm just ten minutes before going on air. With the support of Dr Parmar’s team at Genea, counselling, and lifestyle changes, Sam and his partner Evie went on to welcome two children.
Dr Parmar notes that male factors contribute to roughly half of the fertility cases seen at Genea, and around one in twenty men in the general population have a fertility issue without knowing it. The good news, she says, is that many causes, from hormonal imbalances and metabolic conditions to lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol, or steroid use, can be reversed. For cases where no reversible cause is found, advanced techniques such as ICSI and surgical sperm retrieval offer real hope. “We might have a handful of sperm in our hand and we can still make embryos,” she says.
Her message to men is simple: get tested early, attend consultations together with your partner, and don’t be afraid to ask for support. A semen analysis is straightforward, painless, and can open the door to solutions much sooner.
“We need to take the stigma away so that men can come forward and get good outcomes early.”