Learn about how hormonal abnormalities can negatively affect male fertility and the treatments available Reproduction is hormonally driven. Healthy male fertility requires a normal functioning pituitary gland and hypothalamus. To regulate reproduction, the hypothalamus signals the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). It’s this hormone that’s essential for the simulating the production of the luteinising…
What are varicoceles and what causes them? Learn how they can be treated to improve male fertility A varicocele develops when veins that leave the testis become enlarged and elongated. This network of veins is called the pampiniform plexus and it facilitates the flow of blood away from the testis. A varicocele prevents this and…
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have come long way over the years. The first reported successful case of artificial insemination in humans dates back to 1790. In 1978, the first in vitro fertilisation (IVF) baby was born in England. Almost ten years later Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT) and Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT) were used successfully. Six years…
Hysteroscopy A hysteroscopy is a procedure used to diagnose and treat specific problems within the uterus. It is done using a specialised thin tube called a hysteroscope. The hysteroscope is inserted into the vagina and a small viewing devise is used to examine inside the uterus and cervix. A diagnostic hysteroscopy can be used to…
Methodology This procedure does not involve the patient’s egg cells being used. Instead, an egg is donated by another woman. This is then mixed with a man’s sperm cells in a lab. The fertilised egg is then implanted into the patient’s uterus. Choosing a donor for the egg can be a long, complicated and emotional…
Research shows that a high BMI, alcohol and red meat consumption and weight-loss diets reduce sperm quality A study was conducted in the USA in 1996 to investigate the influence of the male partner’s lifestyle specifically his eating and social habits on his semen quality. Also measured was the impact on the male lifestyle on…
Male Fertility Nutrients
Sperm cells are the male gametes, the cell that fuses with another cell during fertilisation. The average man produces more than 1,000 sperm cells every single second and they need around nine to ten weeks for their full development and maturation. In contrast a woman has already got all of her egg cells present at…
CALCULATING YOUR OVULATION DAY Stress and other factors can result in more phases with more thin cervical mucus. If ovulation has already occurred, you can only then determine this in retrospect on the basis of higher temperature measurements. Calculating ovulation = find your fertility time window The time around ovulation is the only time during the…
Most of us are aware that too much sugar is bad for us, but did you know that sugar can reduce fertility? Usually we associated excess sugar consumption with health issues such as diabetes, tooth decay and obesity. However, the health effects of sugar are much further reaching. The relationship between sugar and fertility is now…
Diminished Ovarian Reserve: Nature, Symptoms, Treatment Options and Reversal In terms of female empowerment today, 40 is the new 30. On the positive side, women now have more flexibility in terms of their roles outside of the traditional household setting and career choices. However, this is not that case when it comes to fertility. Having…