Preparing for pregnancy is important
for both men and women. The best chance of falling pregnant and
having a healthy baby comes when both partners take steps to
optimise their health before conception. It takes two to make a
baby. Although a woman will carry and deliver the child, a man also
has a leading role in pregnancy. For fertilization to occur, his
sperm must be healthy and strong to reach and penetrate her
egg.
Male infertility is
due to low sperm production, abnormal sperm function or blockages
that prevent the delivery of sperm.Here is the list of things means
lifestyle and physical conditions that can effect infertility:
- If you smoke, it damages
the DNA of your sperm. Smoking not only affects your
fertility, can affect the fertility of your partner if you smoke
around her. Smoking in the three months before conception can also
damage the DNA of your sperm which can affect your
child’s health, including increasing their risk of childhood
leukaemia.
- Heavy drinking in
men can reduce sperm quantity and quality.
When a couple is trying to
conceive, men should limit alcohol to low
or moderate amounts. Limit alcohol. Heavy drinking
reduces male fertility and can affect sperm quality. So if you’re
trying to conceive stick to the safe drinking guidelines, which
means no more than 2 standard drinks per day.
- If Obesity, Maintain a
healthy weight. Being overweight or underweight can affect
fertility and sperm quality. If you’re carrying extra weight,
losing weight both are harmful for the reproductive health. being
overweight or obese affects a man's sperm quality, reducing sperm
counts and decreasing their ability to swim, as well as increasing
damage to genetic material (DNA) in sperm. Too much body fat may be
linked with changes in testosterone and other reproductive hormone
levels in men. Through a combination of healthy eating and regular
exercise may help to improve fertility.
- If your testes is in heat
exposure, it reduces sperm production. Keep them
cool! If your testes get hot this can reduce sperm
production so when you’re trying to conceive avoid hot baths, spas,
saunas and sitting with your computer on your lap. And while
there’s no strong evidence to suggest tight underwear is a problem,
wearing boxer shorts can help to keep things cool down there.
- Avoid drug taking.
Anabolic steroids used in body building can cause your testicles to
shrink and can reduce sperm production. And many recreational drugs
have been shown to affect fertility. Some chemotherapy drugs and
radiation treatments for cancer can cause permanent infertility.
Other medical conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or varicoceles
(enlarged veins in the outer thin covering of the testis that cause
overheating), may also affect male fertility.
- Get checked for
STIs. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can affect
your fertility and that of your partner and they don’t always have
obvious symptoms. If you’ve had an STI in the past, or you think
you might be at risk of having an STI, tell your doctor so that you
can decide together whether to be tested. STIs can be treated
before you and your partner try to conceive.
- Researchers have also looked at
whether bike riding can affect sperm because the sport involves
long periods of sitting in a position that increases temperatures
or heat exposurse to the testis as well as bouncing and vibrations
that could cause trauma to the testicles.