Untreated Male Infertilityโ Fuels Unnecessary IVF, Expertsโ Warn
Many โขcouples are unnecessarily turning toโค Inโ Vitro Fertilization (IVF) due to a widespread failureโ to properly โขdiagnose and treat maleโข infertility, according โคto aโ growing number of fertilityโข specialists.Despite menโ contributing โฃto roughly half ofโข all infertility cases, โคinadequate screening โฃand a lack of specialized care meanโ many male reproductive issuesโ are overlooked.
A key โฃfactor is limited awareness โamong general practitioners coupled with aโข shortage of dedicated male fertility specialists. This frequently enough results in significant delays – sometiems years – for men to receiveโ even โขbasic โคdiagnostic โฃtesting,while their female partners undergo extensive evaluations.
Conditions contributingโ to male โขinfertility, โฃsuch as varicocele – โan โคenlargementโ of veins โwithin โthe scrotum that elevates temperatureโฃ and โhinders sperm production – are โfrequentlyโฃ treatable through โrelatively simple interventions, including surgery orโ lifestyle adjustments.โ
Urologist โคVaibhav Modgil estimates that โข5-10% of men experience infertility, yet the issueโ remains largely unaddressed.He advocatesโค for a systemic “top-down” โฃoverhaul to prioritize male reproductive health.
The โproblem is further exacerbated โby a healthcare system that ofen frames fertility as primarilyโข a women’s health โฃconcern. Most couples initially consult gynecologists, and access โคto male reproductive health specialists is limited inโ many areas.โ
While aโ recent national men’s โคhealth strategy offered some hope for โคchange,critics point out it doesn’t specifically address maleโค infertility. There is cautious optimism that upcoming revisions to women’s health policy mayโข createโ opportunities โfor improved male-focused fertility care.
Experts and advocates are calling for more โคcomprehensive initial testing for men, encompassing physical examinations, โdetailed medical histories, and lifestyle assessments, rather than relying solely on semen analysis. This proactive approach, they argue, could significantly โreduce โthe โnumber of couples undergoing costly โand โขemotionally โฃtaxing IVF treatments, โฃlessen the mental health burden associated with infertility, and ultimately lower overall healthcare โคexpenses.
