3 Facts About Men's Reproductive Health That Are Sometimes Ignored

Illustrations (Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels)

JAKARTA - The problem of pregnancy to fertility until now still carries a tremendous stigma and shame for those who experience it. Cleopatra Kamperveen, scientist and fertility specialist, tells us that currently, 186 million million people on this planet have fertility problems. If you fall into this category, know that you are not alone, and that there is nothing wrong with you.

Instead of always being associated with women, it turns out that many men also experience fertility problems. There are at least three important things that everyone needs to know about aspects of male fertility. Launching MBG.com, Friday, February 4, here is the full VOI.

Age determines male fertility

Many people take into account the role of age in female fertility and ignore that men also have biological limitations as they age. The more mature a man is, the more likely the fertility challenge lies in neurocognitive problems.

Sperm health is more complex

There are various ways to determine sperm health that can provide important information about the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and having a healthy baby. There are men who are declared to have healthy sperm because the examination shows that they have healthy sperm count, shape (morphology), and motility (movement).

Unfortunately, some men do not understand the high DNA fragmentation and changes in sperm DNA methylation. Genes associated with defects with sperm DNA methylation include the MEST, H19, and MTHFR genes that are well-known for influencing female fertility.

Race, ethnicity, and social class affect fertility

The fertility stereotype is so strong and so ingrained in society that many are not even aware of it. Among the ingrained fertility stereotypes held by society is the stereotype that people of color are more fertile than white people.

Just like women, men of color are more likely to experience fertility problems. Hispanic or Latino men and African-American ancestry are more likely to experience fertility challenges. These data contradict media portrayals and other stereotyped images of fertility among men of color. Similarly, there is a false stereotype that people with fewer socioeconomic resources are highly fertile.

One of the most consistent findings in the health and behavioral science literature is what is known as the SES-health gradient. The SES-health gradient is the relationship between health and socioeconomic status (SES), so for every level of decline in SES, there is a level of decline in health. And this includes reproductive health. People who had fewer socioeconomic resources in childhood and adulthood, and who have faced more hardship in childhood and adulthood, are more likely to experience fertility problems.