Should I freeze my sperm? Men consider their ‘sixth vital sign.’
It is fertility on ice. The freezing of eggs has exploded in the past decade, with an increase of 400% since 2012. Now, research on the degradation of sperm and its impact on the strengthening of the family leads a generation of men concerned with their health to consider their own preservation of fertility.
Whether men of the past have been left out or verified of the conversation on fertility depends on who you ask. But the old beliefs concerning the life insurance of paternity are extinguished and the men take control of their reproductive future using sperm tests by mail and freezing. Fertility is no longer just “a female problem”.
“The father contributes half of the genome,” said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, urologist in Stanford Popular science. He urges men to be aware and proactive on their side of the process.
[Related: Plants could be manipulating sperm in completely new ways. ]
No longer just a female problem
Studies indicate that the poor quality of sperm is a factor in the challenges of couples that fall pregnant. According to bORNESIQUE experts, sperm can deteriorate over time.
“Organic male infertility is increasing with age,” said Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey, a reproductive endocrinologist in RMA New York Popular science. Jackson-Bey spends his days working with couples trying to design. When a couple has a problem, about half of the time, it comes from man.
Hollywood warns children in sixties and beyond give the public an unrealistic idea of ââthe permanence of paternity and potential risks to delay it. In 2021, a team of British researchers studying 4,271 men through a range of ages revealed that the success rates of fertility of men decrease over time with a significant decline in men over 51.
And the challenges do not stop at design. Poor quality sperm are associated with obstacles at each stage of family construction – from difficulty in getting pregnant, pregnancy complications, health problems of offspring. There may be a certain number of reasons for this cavalcade of complications, but an important factor is the progressive accumulation of DNA damage in sperm.
“THE [older] Sperm have higher rates of DNA damage, “said Dr. Guy Morris, principal researcher in the 2021 study on the decrease in the success of the fertility of men over time Popular science. “We have shown this final point associated in a fairly coherent way at age.” From puberty to death, male germ cells divide approximately every 16 days. While cells are replied Again and again to create more sperm, mutations can occur. Eisenberg explains that around two new changes will appear each year in the Sperm DNA. This accumulation of “errors” can be the reason why older fathers are Associated with higher rates of false layers, premature births, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes in mother during pregnancy, as well as autism rate, congenital malformations and childhood cancer in their children.
The other possible reasons for the decline of fertility of men are the hormonal changes that occur as they age as well as the effects of living life. Exposure to microplastics and endocrine disruptive chemicals in our environment can affect sperm, as well as bad lifestyle choices.
“The more you are alive, the more exposure to them, the more possibilities they have to cause problems,” explains Eisenberg.
Freeze or not freeze
Concerns about the quality of sperm have led some men to clinics to freeze their sperm for subsequent use. Fertility companies are now free of sperm freeze by post to men from which they can enjoy the house and freeze for years for annual costs.
Khaled Kteily is the CEO of Legacy, a start-up and a male fertility clinic that offers customers sperm and freezing tests. He launched his business after the fear of his own fertility years ago.
âI still imagined myself like a father and a husband. [By freezing]I can protect my ability to have children for the rest of my life, âsays Kteily Popular science.
Passing through fear has given Kteily want to offer a preservation of fertility to the greatest number of men as possible. “All you have to do is masturbate at home – once.”
But freezing sperm may not be for everyone. There are storage costs ($ 100-300 per year). And although they are pale compared to those of the frost of cryogenic eggs ($ 500 to 1000 per year), it is always a commitment. In addition, changes to sperm over time are generally low year by year in healthy men, but can accumulate for many years.
“If you are 30 years old and you plan to have children in 5 years, don’t worry,” said Dr. Stanton Honig de Yale Popular science. “But if you are 30 years old and you plan to postpone it for 15 years, freezing can be reasonable to consider.”
Jackson-Bey recommends freezing sperm for men with dangerous jobs, jobs with toxic exposures or medical conditions that may require treatment or surgery affecting sperm. She also advocates freezing for men who join the army, men who must be far from their spouse for long periods and men who plan to need to prioritize family for several years.
According to Kteily, an increasing number of inheritance customers are simply concerned with health who wish to obtain the parenting option, regardless of life.
Sperm health beyond cold storage
In addition to freezing sperm, companies like Legacy offer something else that is highly recommended for all men: sperm tests. Sperm analyzes – whether in a clinic or at home with a postal kit – can speak to patients about their individual sperm number (how much sperm is in sperm), motility (how sperm are effectively moving) and morphology (whether the cells are good shape and good size).
“Just because you were fertile Popular science.
If a postal test comes back abnormal, doctors recommend making an appointment with a breeding urologist. Although you cannot change your age, the good news is that many sperm problems are repairable.
[ Related: Next-generation male contraceptives could rely on the perfect temperature. ]
“There are many underlying problems that can affect health and which can also be treatable or reversible, which allow a man to improve the quality of sperm,” explains Honig.
Habits such as smoking tobacco or marijuana, vaping, recreational drugs, drinking alcohol, poor nutrition, high exposure to testicles, excessive weight and lack of exercise can affect the quality of sperm. Just like hormonal drugs, like testosterone, that some men take to help their libido, but can cause a number of sperm. Healthy adjustments in the behavior and daily choices can improve the poor results of the tests.
Sperm tests can also tell you a lot about your overall health. Women have their rules as a monthly signal that things are normal or abnormal – men have their sperm. The best time to test your sperm is the first time you feel curious, even if you are young, says Eisenberg. Sperm is “the sixth vital sign”.
This story is part of popular sciences Ask us anything seriesWhere we answer your most bizarre and burning questions, from the ordinary to the wall. Do you have something you always wanted to know? Ask.
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