I think that I told Storeboard.com CEO Dave Waller a few months ago that there were too many blogs on “magic potions” on the Storeboard.com website -- blogs on products that the writer said was good for your health, but seemed quacky to me. OK, my Spellcheck said quacky isn’t a word, but I like it.
Shortly thereafter, I got an article on medicine from a client. Then another. And another.
I’m not a doctor, or a quack (I contend), but I decided to post some of what I have learned from my research for these articles on Storeboard. Below is Part I of the series. By the way, a college friend regularly called me Dr. Z. I never figured out why, but I am appropriating the nickname for this series.
Ten Facts About Male Infertility
1. DEFINITION OF INFERTILITY: A couple is infertile if they have been having unprotected sex for at least one year and they have not been able to conceive a child.
2. EXTENT OF PROBLEM: About 15 percent of American couples are infertile, according to the Mayo Clinic.
3. THE PROGNOSIS: Treating infertility successfully has become more common. In fact, Harvard Health Publications reports that the prognosis has improved in recent years from "discouraging" to "quite promising." Up to half of male infertility problems can be treated.
4. THE CAUSE: Infertility is caused by men about one-third of the time and by women about one-third of the time, and about one-third of the time no cause can be found, according to the National Institutes of Health.
5. SPERM SHAPE IS IMPORTANT: Historically, low sperm count and poor sperm movement were regarded as the primary causes of male infertility, but "the shape of a man's sperm is the best gauge of fertility," reports The New England Journal of Medicine. Sperms with long straight tails and oval heads are the best and men are in good shape if more than 12 percent of their sperm are normally shaped.
6. DIET CAN IMPROVE SPERM SHAPE: Men can improve the shape of their sperm -- and the movement of their sperm -- by eating a lot of carrots, lettuce, spinach and tomatoes, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The key ingredients in these vegetables that have a positive effect on sperm are beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene.
7. DRUGS IMPAIR FERTILITY: Smoking, drinking and drug use increase the risk of male infertility, although you can’t improve your sperm shape by quitting these habits, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
8. 35 IS THE KEY AGE: Male fertility begins to decline at about age 35, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. In fact, 35-year-old women are far more likely to become pregnant if their male partner is 35 than if he is 40.
9. BICYCLING CAN INCREASE INFERTILITY: The University of Maryland Medical Center lists bicycling along with smoking, substance abuse, stress, and obesity as "lifestyle factors" that increase infertility. "Pressure from the bike seat can sometimes damage blood vessels and nerves that are responsible for erections," the medical center reports. Bicyclists can reduce their risk by using a padded bicycle seat "set at the proper height and angle."
10. HOT WATER CAN INCREASE INFERTILITY: Planned Parenthood lists bathing or swimming in hot water and wearing tight clothes as infertility risks. In addition, The New York Times reports that several cancers, particularly testicular cancer, can have a dramatically negative effect on sperm production. Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can also cause male infertility.
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