Here at Double Happiness Health we work with many women to optimize fertility and improve pregnancy success. Recently, a patient of mine asked if her partner would benefit from acupuncture treatment. My answer… Yes, absolutely!
Here are some stats.
Up to 15% of couples are considered infertile. Infertility is the inability to conceive after a year or longer of unprotected sexual intercourse. Despite what we’ve believed since middle school, pregnancy will not happen with just the mere thought of unprotected sex! If you’re experiencing difficulty conceiving, you’re not alone.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), infertility is a problem evenly split between males and females. Each gender factor represents about 30% of infertility, and the remaining third of the cases are either a combination of both gender or unexplained.
Many factors can contribute to fertility problems. The health of both partners plays an important role, which is why men should consider acupuncture and herbal treatment.
So let’s talk about male infertility.
The primary causes of male infertility include low sperm production, abnormal sperm shape, size, and swimming ability, or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. These issues can be the result of underlying health problems. They can also be caused by certain lifestyle factors, stress, injury, and environmental factors such as toxins.
The ASRM has released studies which show that both sperm count and sperm motility have declined in the past decade, following a similar, broader trend observed by many scientific studies over the past few decades. A widely cited study published in 2017 by researchers from Mount Sinai Medical School found that among nearly 43,000 men from North America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, sperm counts per milliliter of semen had declined more than 50% from 1973 to 2011! Today, what is considered a normal sperm count is at least 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen. However, data from studies show an increase in pregnancy rates as sperm counts increase to forty million or more. Thus, a male partner with a “normal” sperm count may still stand to improve conception odds.
Age also matters. We commonly think of age as a factor in only female fertility. However, men have a biological clock too. Various research studies have found that both the quantity and quality of sperm actually declines with age. Researchers found sperm quantity peaks between the ages of 30 and 35, while sperm motility is best before age 25 and lowest after age 55. A study conducted at UC Berkeley discovered that genetic defects in the sperm also increase with age.
How can Chinese Medicine help?
Chinese medicine and acupuncture has supported reproductive health for thousands of years. In the case of male fertility, acupuncture and herbs have been able to increase sperm production, motility, and quality, improve morphology, and relax the nervous system.
At Double Happiness Health we use acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle recommendations to optimize fertility for both men and women.