During the holiday season, there’s generally not much on TV, but sometimes you stumble across a gem. This is exactly what happened to me when I came across a Series on the ABC called “Secret Science”. In particular two episodes which delve into fertility focussing on male issues.
Matt Okine interviews medical experts and I’d like to share a few of the nuggets revealed in these episodes:
* 100,000 rounds of IVF are carried out annually in Australia
* Men are equally responsible for couple infertility
* Male and female fertility is on the decline
For those of you who have been reading my blogs or my book, this information will not be new to you. Men remain shy about discussing their fertility. This hesitancy may be due to feeling their ‘manhood’ is threatened, but as discussed in my book and on this series, fertility and virility are separate issues.
Dr Ben Kroon of Melbourne IVF explains that men have the ability to improve their sperm on all parameters, much as I explain in my book. Diet and lifestyle, as well as exposure to environmental toxins, have a major impact on sperm numbers and quality.
Dr Mark Green supports the fact that diet and lifestyle impact sperm and reproductive health. He gives a particularly interesting demonstration involving a can of coke – I urge you to watch these episodes. He also provides excellent tips on improving sperm health. Matt Okine and two other men took part in a 3-month experiment trying to improve their sperm quality. The outcome supported Dr Green in that one man who made a few lifestyle and dietary changes lead to significant improvements in sperm numbers and quality. Whereas the other man admitted to not really reducing alcohol or stopping vaping and his sperm numbers/quality did not change.
Regardless of whether you are trying to conceive with the help of IVF or naturally, it is equally important that both sperm and egg are as healthy as possible.
Episode 2 delves into IVF and other medical procedures that may help couples conceive. Egg freezing, which has increased dramatically due to Social Media, costs between $8,000 to $15,000 plus annual fees, doesn’t come cheap. No wonder Matt said that infertility is big business.
I’d like to share advice given at Westmead Fertility Centre: “Nature works best in the way that nature usually does and we should only help nature if we have to.”
So when you decide that it’s time to start or add to your family, remember that preparation is the key. Learn how to best prepare for conception and get a copy of my book today – it’s available on Amazon.
Episode 1: https://iview.abc.net.au/video/SC2314H006S00
Episode 2: https://iview.abc.net.au/video/SC2314H007S00
