When can we say that a man is fertile enough to father a child? Well, to be able to answer this question and leave no doubts, there are a lot of things that must come to play in this piece you are reading.
But before then, let’s first define what male fertility is. Male fertility is basically the ability of a man to be able to produce offspring of his own, such that there will be no requirement for any medical intervention before he can contribute to the conception of a fetus.
If there is no sign of conception after over a year of trying to conceive naturally, then there is a problem. That will then be a case of infertility.
In current times, the ability to give birth is medically aided, on the side of both men and women, with interventions such as IVF, among many others.
When that happens, it often raises the question, “Are we as fertile as we are supposed to be?” If yes, then why the need for all these medical interventions?
Unless we really are not as fertile anymore as most of our predecessors were. If that is the case, then it will prove the fact that there really has been a dramatic decrease in the fertility of men by over a whopping 50 percent. And that too is said to have been happening over the last 4 decades, especially among western men. It is said that this issue affects over 186 million people worldwide (including women).
Is that not a cause enough to be concerned? What happened that made men with such an absurd number to have infertility problems? Is it due to their lifestyle choices? Or perhaps other factors that have actually led to all of this “humanity” problem?
It happens that, whenever there is an issue with a couple being unable to produce an offspring, women are the first to be questioned about the status of their fertility. But we do forget that it takes two, a male and a female, to produce a baby! And so, it is high time that we paid enough attention to the reproductive health of men as well.
And so, in this article, we will highlight some of the very key things to know about male fertility and infertility as well, some of the things that can possibly cause you to be infertile, and a whole lot more.
What Shows That You Are Fertile?
The fertility of a man can be determined through a process called semen analysis. This is the best and safest way to ascertain if you truly are fertile.
This term is given to the process of analysing the ability of a sperm to initiate pregnancy. For a man to be claimed as fertile, this fertility test must show that his semen is of a certain quality and quantity.
Before you go for a semen analysis after booking an appointment with your doctor, you will most definitely be advised to abstain from sex for about three days prior to the test so that the doctors will be able to get the best healthy sperm as much as possible, which will tell whether you are fertile or not.
And for that to be ascertained as whether you are indeed fertile or not, it depends on a number of factors, such as the sperm motility, ph level (potential of hydrogen level), morphology, volume, as well as its level of concentration.
Sperm motility: Normally, if a man is said to be fertile, then his semen must be able to move independently and quickly to fertilise an egg in the fallopian tube; that is what is termed as semen motility.
The pH level of the semen: This is about the level of acidity in your semen. If it happens that your semen is acidic, your sperm will likely not be very healthy enough to fertilise an egg.
As already, the female vaginal fluid is highly acidic to even normal healthy sperms, and so if your semen has a low level of alkalinity, then it will be difficult for your sperms that are travelling towards an egg for fertilization.
Morphology: This is a term given to how healthy sperm is supposed to be shaped. A normal, healthy sperm is said to have a smooth, round tip with a long tail.
Volume: This refers to the amount of semen you present in the container you have per milliliter. If it is low, then it will affect how the test results will go.
Because a lower volume of semen will firsthand let the fertility doctor know that there is something really wrong with your semen.
Concentration: The concentration of spermatozoa. The quantity of healthy sperm in the semen is normally the deciding factor that will tell whether there will be a pregnancy initiated or not.
You need to know that for a normal, healthy couple to be able to conceive a baby, the chances are quite slim already. And so, if any of these factors are not playing out well, then there will be a problem.
Aside from analysing your fertility with semen analysis, there are other signs that can show that you are fertile. However, it is very important to seek professional advice rather than being dependent on these signs alone.
Other Signs That Show That You Are Fertile
A Healthy Erection
One very sure sign that you are fertile is when you obtain healthy erections on a daily basis. A normal, healthy man is able to obtain a firm erection every morning. This indicates that his reproductive system is functioning normally and there are no issues with it.
Although this does not mean that a person with erectile dysfunction will most likely be infertile unless the cause of the erectile dysfunction is what will also cause him to be infertile. Causes such as sexually transmitted infections, among others.
Aside from that, a person with erectile dysfunction will find it hard to have sex with their wife to have a baby. Most often, it is not about the fertility of the man that is the problem, but rather, the fact that he is unable to maintain strong erections.
When that happens, such a person can go through a lot of stress mentally, which most of the time affects the strength of his sperm to reproduce.
So on average, the majority of men who are able to have strong erections likewise have a healthy mindset of their ability to reproduce and, as such, do not go through as much stress that can impact the quality of their sperm.
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A larger Scrotum
A larger scrotum more or less indicates that your sperm factory is healthy and is always working hard to give you the best quality sperm possible.
However, keep in mind that if your scrotum is large alright but you feel pain from it, then it might have a totally different underlying meaning.
It can just be an infection. That way, you need to seek medical help. If not, it can be another health condition called varicocele, which normally involves swelling in some of the veins in your scrotum.
If that is the case, then you need help. However, if your scrotum and the testicles themselves are large and you feel healthy down there, then that might possibly indicate that you are fertile.
Normal Secondary Sex Characteristics
When it comes to the reproductive health of mammals, humans included, most of the time, the ability to effectively produce young ones of their own kind can be assessed by secondary sex characteristics.
These things normally tend to develop when they hit adulthood or are in the process of maturity. These things for men normally include facial hairs, balding, a deepened voice, the presence of the Adams apple, as well as other things that show that you are physically masculine (in other words, make you look more attractive to the opposite sex).
This happens as a result of testosterone levels. When you are fertile enough and your sperms are producing enough of what they are supposed to (sperm and testosterone), then naturally, your body will get a normal development in all of these secondary sex characteristics.
When you realise that you have a normal distribution of facial hair, chest hairs and public hairs, you should know that you are okay when it comes to fertility.
However, the thing is, to be fertile does not necessarily require you as a man to have all of these secondary sex characteristics.
A typical man will not have an Adams apple but will still be able to give birth. All you need to keep in mind is that the more you have these secondary characteristics going on normally, the more they will indicate that you are also fertile.
Your Semen Is Thick And Creamy
Normally, the semen of a male can vary in thickness and viscosity, which is determined by certain factors. The fertility of a man is all about the semen, or, to be specific, about the content of the semen (which is the amount of healthy spermatozoa in the semen) When your semen appears to be thick and creamy during the first few instances of ejaculation, that is likely to mean that you are fertile.
The thick, creamy look is an indication of a lot of sperms being present in your semen. Most often, it will not always be the same colour for others.
For most men, the colour of the sperm is either white or gray. Sometimes to other males, the ejaculate might have a yellowish appearance which occurs as a result of either jaundice, or it being mixed with urine in your tracts, most often, it’s a normal occurrence. However, if you still feel concerned, you should make sure to see your doctor.
Mostly, semen that are thick are so due to the presence of some essential proteins that are in them. And so, after a while, it becomes watery, enabling it to travel deeper into a female to fertilise an egg.
So, if you notice that your semen is thick, creamy, and abundant, there is no need to really stress yourself to know if you are fertile at all. That alone might be an indication that you are fertile.
Wet Dreams And Nightfalls
Wet dreams and nightfall occur as a result of buildup of semen stored in the body. Nightfall and wet dreams are a common occurrence among new male teenagers who are just starting to experience puberty.
Mostly as adults, there will be times when you will have nocturnal emmisons in the night without you even realising.
Also, at times you will have sensual dreams, which help you to release sexual tensions in your body. Mother Nature really is smart. When this happens, the first reason has already been said to be a buildup of semen.
Now the second will be that you have a healthy reproductive system. When these things occur, they normally indicate that you have the capability of impregnating a woman if you try. And so, once you still have wet dreams or nightfalls, then it is a clear indication that you might be fertile.
The above are some of the things that might indicate that you are fertile. Apart from that, it might interest you to know that, when it comes to how fertile you are as a man, there are certain things you might get involved with that can put your fertility on the line.
Some of these things are certain habits you get involved with that have the capability of affecting your fertility negatively.
Furthermore, factors other than lifestyle choices, like genetics and underlying medical conditions, may also play a role in infertility. Let’s look at some of these things in detail.
Infertility In Males
Infertility in males occur when, after several tries of continuous sex, there is still no conception. Normally, like many other things, this is not without cause. Let’s analyse some of these things and make sure to abstain from them if you really want to be able to give birth.
Certain Lifestyle choices
1. Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption has been shown to have a hand in the increasing cases of infertility in males. As much as a few drinks here and there will not hurt you, when you indulge too much into alcohol, your testosterone production is impacted, thereby leading you to have a lower libido or interest in sex.
Also, since testosterone is produced in the testes and it is affected due to alcohol intake, you need to know that since your sperm is produced in the same place as the testosterone, its production will also be impacted, thereby causing you to have a low sperm count. Therefore, alcohol intake in an uncontrolled manner can negatively impact your ability to give birth.
2. Incessant Smoking
Although the effects of smoking are not very immediate on your fertility, once its intake is not controlled over a certain period, then during those periods, there will be a gradual decrease in sperm quality.
Smoking has been shown to contain over 4000 harmful substances. And so, when some of these substances end up affecting the quality of sperm production, it is usually not a surprising matter.
What smoking basically does is reduce the volume of your sperm, thereby leading you to have problems in having offspring of your own.
3. Poor Diet
In a world now filled with people who prefer “takeaway foods” to home-cooked, it is not surprising that fertility in males is declining at a faster rate.
Diet indeed has an impact on our fertility as males. A healthy diet rich in all the essential nutrients the body needs will mean that the sperm production factory will likely get some of the raw materials needed to aid in the creation of new healthy sperm cells.
However, foods rich in highly processed content can compromise your ability to produce healthy sperms necessary to produce healthy offspring.
4. Obesity
Another typical lifestyle factor that causes a male to have trouble with fertility is when they are overweight. Obesity can give you a lot of headaches when it comes to producing quality, healthy sperm.
It has been shown that, as a man, being 20 pounds more overweight than your normal body weight can increase your likelihood of being infertile by 10 percent, which is enough cause to be concerned.
Also, it has been shown that being overweight as a man can cause your body to produce less amounts of testosterone and rather produces estrogen, a hormone found dominantly in females.
That way, your sperm production is also significantly affected. When your BMI is over the bar, then you need to find ways to deal with it; if not, your fertility will be on the line.
Underlying Health Conditions That Can Lead To Infertility
- Varicocele
This is a health condition whereby some veins in the scrotum experience swelling. This can cause infertility by hindering the production of sperm cells in the scrotal sac.
- Hormonal Imbalances
Hormons play a very important role in the human body. They help to regulate the body and also aid in some very important processes, including aiding in the production of healthy sex cells.
However, whenever there is a situation with your hormones, it also affects your ability to produce these cells that can later aid in the conception of babies.
Take for instance, testotereone. It aids in the production of healthy sperm for the male body. Once there is an imbalance in the body, production of healthy sperm also becomes a problem.
- Infections
Infections such as gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections can, in one way or another, affect how your body produces sperm in the body. When such a scenario goes on for a long while, it can lead to potential infertility.
- Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a unique case where the tube or passageway (vas deferens) for the transfer of sperms to the penis is blocked or not available. If that is the case, then the ability of the male to actually impregnate a woman is greatly affected. Thereby leading to infertility.
Whenever you feel like there is something wrong with you concerning your fertility, you do not have to sit down. We’ll find it good enough to research. However, that is not all you must limit yourself to. Seek help as soon as you feel like there is something wrong with you.
How Fertile Must You Be?
Once you have the passion to have your own child, you do not need to be fertile. All you need is the knowledge about how to go about this.
There is a lot of help, medically, that can increase your chances of being able to give birth. However, keep in mind that, when it comes to wanting to have a baby despite not being able to produce enough and/or healthy sperm, the cost of some of the options can most of the time be a lot.