Do we over-focus on women's bodies - forgetting how simple it is to boost male fertility?

Male factor infertility is the sole cause in up to 40% of infertility, says the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Tara, 36, had 3 failed IVF cycles with her first husband . Yet, within two years of her second marriage ... she was on a third successful pregnancy. The difference?  'A younger, leaner, fitter man - complete with super stud  sperm count,' she smiles.

In natural baby making there is a certain male fertility level present,but shockingly for IVF patients the bar is set much lower.

Even if if a man has a 'satisfactory' sperm analysis - he may have an underlying medical condition.

Dr.Joseph Alukai is Director of Male Reproductive Health at NYC Langone Medical Centre - "It's not that somebody doesn't recognize it, they are choosing not to find the answer why."

Male Infertility in a Nutshell

Men's fertility is a hormone juggling act with three balls in the air!

~ Testosterone  is the number one male sex hormone. Paradoxically having too much of it or self-supplementing reduces fertility. Dr. Nangia of the American Urological Association, is critical of doctors who rely on heavily promoted testosterone products to deal with low libido and infertility. “Testosterone causes … a profound decrease in spermatogenesis, including azoospermia (no sperm),” he said.

~ Luteinising Hormone instructs the testicles to make Testosterone.

~ Follicle Stimulating Hormone tells the testicles to make more sperm. If these interlinked hormone levels are out of kilter, sperm production is disrupted and  quality impaired, making it hard for couples to conceive.During ejaculation millions of swimmers are released but only one fertilizes the egg.

"It's all an odds game," reveals Dr Alukai,"We want to get as many as of the good guys as close to the egg as possible. Male infertility can be genetic, traumatic or medical. Invisible varicose veins in the testicles - called Varicoceles - can fry heat-sensitive sperm, causing infertility. Simple surgery can correct this."

Strong Sperm Defy the Odds

Men have  a 3-month sperm production cycle. Take advantage of this time to turbo-charge fertility.

• Starting with eating, drinking and weight. Check your BMI and Cholesterol level. A BMI above 35 flags reduced sperm count, lowered testosterone and causes DNA damage. Eat high quality food, ditch processed and take-out foods.
• Add a fertility supplement to increase sperm health ...'pre-Conceive' is recommended by doctors.
• Alcohol, cola and caffeine are history.
• Smoking is a no-no.
• If you're prone to gas, heartburn, constipation or diarrhea, your gut won't absorb nutrients properly.  You need to shed a couple of stone and get fit.
• Harvard School of Public Health recommends exercise, especially weight lifting, to boost sperm count.
• A study in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found  if either one or both partners had high LDL, or 'bad cholesterol', it took longer to get pregnant.
• Good quality sleep is vital to fertility and shedding weight.
• Check chemicals found in your bathroom cabinet, under the sink or in the garden shed. Plastics,  paints, pesticides, heavy metals are  ubiquitous hormone disruptors.
• Do you use a mobile phone?

"We found that carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality. This is important for men already on the borderline of infertility," says Dr. Fiona Mathews, University of Exeter.