Concerning Trend in a Rise in Fertility Issues Across The UK

Male fertility issues are on the rise according to new data gathered from The Fertility Index Survey*. Concerning results from the survey reveals younger men are nearly three times as likely to have fertility issues when compared to older generations. In another insight, The Fertility Index Survey* found male fertility issues have risen hugely over the last two generations with 16% of those under 34 being impacted by fertility issues when they have tried to conceive compared to just 6% of those over 55.

Generally, around 84% of people will conceive within one year if they have frequent unprotected sex and of those who do not, almost half will conceive in the second year. If, however, problems last for longer than that, or if you have any factors that would worry you about being able to conceive, it’s important to speak to a specialist. The impact is not solely the delay to conception. When considering the difficulties in conceiving, it’s important to consider the impact on men’s mental health.

Research suggests infertile men experience depression, anxiety, and hostility after an infertility diagnosis. Facing fertility issues can be very challenging and unfortunately, male infertility can be a taboo subject and is oftentimes less openly discussed than female fertility. A study comparing the experiences of men found more than one third felt their health professional did not take the time to properly address the issues surrounding their fertility journey, and more than two-thirds of men said they did not have the opportunity to discuss their experiences.

The source of fertility issues in men is both common and complex. Experts agree several factors contribute to difficulty conceiving, suggesting lifestyle choices such as excessive alcohol consumption, diet and obesity, smoking, stress, low sperm count, anabolic steroids and drug use are among some of the causes.

The Fertility Index Survey* also showed that more men than women have been impacted by fertility issues with 11% of all men admitting to issues compared to only 9% of women. This means on average 1 in 10 couples are impacted by fertility conceiving across all age groups, with 18 – 24-year-olds being impacted most.

With this concerning trend in mind, it’s important to raise awareness of the rise in male fertility and sexual health issues. There are real world consequences to men’s mental health and their relationships. By having open and honest discussions about misconceptions and taboos around male fertility issues, we can help empower individuals and couples to understand what can impact sexual health and performance.

HCA UK offer fertility testing packages for men so you can find out if you have any reasons to be concerned before you decide to start or grow your family. Our commitment to patient care includes your emotional wellbeing, so as well as dedicated time with our fertility specialists you have access to free counselling with our team of counsellors.

More information on our male MOT packages can be found here.

More information on fit for fertility packages can be found here.

References

1. The Fertility Index Survey*
2. Abdullah, S., Ali, E. E. K., & Elhameed, N. a. A. (2019). Comparison of Psychological Aspects of Infertile & Fertile Males.
3. Mikkelsen, A. T., Madsen, S. A., & Humaidan, P. (2013). Psychological aspects of male fertility treatment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(9), 1977–1986.
4. Infertility https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/
5. Infertility Diagnosis https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/diagnosis/
6. Men’s Health https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menshealth/conditioninfo/infertility