40% of infertility issues are linked to men’s health

'About 15% of couples are going to have fertility problems... And in those couples who have a fertility problem, 40% are those or greater, it is a male issue.'

A leading HSE expert has called for the recruitment of more specialists in male infertility and greater awareness of the fact that 40% of infertility issues are linked to men’s health.

John O’Sullivan, a consultant andrologist and urologist working at St James Hospital, is taking part in a new HSE drive to highlight men’s health issues, and will attend next week’s Ploughing Championships to discuss the issue.

Andrologists specialise in male reproductive health, sexual function, and urological issues.

“We need to improve access to care for male patients. There needs to be more andrologists funded to see patients,” said Dr O’Sullivan.

“We need to improve access to care and improve awareness that male infertility is so common.

“About 15% of couples are going to have fertility problems, so one in eight couples. And in those couples who have a fertility problem, 40% are those or greater, it is a male issue.”

“We don’t have access to specialists to care for men adequately.

“We’ve made great strides in this, and the HSE is aware of the issues. There are improvements in that regard, but there’s still a deficit.”

The issue will be highlighted at a stand at the Ploughing Championship run by the HSE’s National Women and Infants Health Programme, who have been behind the development of the six fertility hubs now offering access to publicly funded care.

“The man’s reproductive health is a barometer of the man’s overall health,” added Dr O’Sullivan.

“Sperm are miniature versions of ourselves.”

Habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, poor diet, stress or being overweight can have a negative impact on sperm, he explained.

“It can make the sperm lower quality,” he said.

In his experience, heterosexual couples struggling with infertility usually associate this with the woman’s health.

Men are probably thinking ‘it’s not them’ because they just don’t know.

Dr O’Sullivan will be at the Ploughing Championships from Tuesday.

“Come and talk to us,” he said, stressing that no appointments are needed and people can have an informal chat about their concerns.

He called on men to talk to them at the stand, or talk to a GP about infertility issues, rather than seeking advice online.

“We see a lot of guys who are struggling with their sex drives,” he said.

“They’re struggling to procreate, so what they decide to do is take testosterone.”

“If you inject or rub on exogenous testosterone, you completely shut down your sperm production.”