Sperm health: half of fertility problems lie with men, researcher says, as study highlights ways to safeguard the ability to have children

Fertility issues lie with men as much as with women, and new research finds smoking, diabetes, pollution and some medical conditions can damage sperm

Age is another big factor, and doctors say waiting to start a family can present problems. Knowledge is key for men to be mindful and make sensible choices

Reading Time:4 minutes

This couple were lucky in being able to conceive. Many have problems, and half the time it’s the man who has fertility issues. New research lists major risks to sperm health including smoking, diabetes and age. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 1 May 2023Updated: 11:56pm, 16 Oct 2023

Men’s reproductive capacity has drastically decreased in recent decades, and new research draws attention to the importance of prevention.

When a couple tries in vain to start a family, the common misconception is that it must be a fertility issue with the woman.

But an issue with the man can be identified in half of the cases, says Dr Zsolt Kopa, associate professor and head of the Andrology Centre in the Department of Urology at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary.

If more men were aware of this number, perhaps they’d be more mindful of health – and especially sperm health – when planning a family.

Dr Zsolt Kopa, head of the Andrology Centre in the Department of Urology at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Semmelweis University

Kopa and his team recently published a study in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology on the factors that impact sperm health.

Their meta-analysis, which drew data from 190 global studies and included 122,658 men in their early to mid-thirties, identified lifestyle choices and health conditions that do the most damage to the quality of a man’s sperm.