News | Global Rise in Male Infertility Prompts Calls for Diagnostic and Treatment Reform
According to the World Health Organization, infertility now affects one in six couples of reproductive age, with male factors involved in about 50% of cases. As male infertility rises worldwide, researcher Sarah Kimmins and 25 international experts argue that men should have access to meaningful diagnoses and targeted treatments. In most cases, however, these measures are still not fully available.
In a consensus report published in Nature Reviews Urology, Kimmins and colleagues proposed 10 recommendations to improve the health of men and their children while reducing the burden on female partners. The recommendations call for greater attention to male reproductive health, better diagnostic and treatment methods, and more personalized care.
Environmental and Lifestyle Effects on Male Infertility
Professor Sarah Kimmins noted that the rapid decline in male fertility cannot be explained by genetics alone and that environmental factors are major contributors. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, rising obesity, poor diet, stress, cannabis use, alcohol, and smoking all affect male fertility. She called for public health education and encouraged men to adopt healthier lifestyles several months before trying to conceive.
Urgent Need for Better Diagnosis and Treatment
Male infertility is currently assessed mainly through family history, physical examination, hormone levels, and semen analysis. These methods have been used for more than 50 years and lack sensitivity and precision. Researchers are calling for more funding to develop more accurate reproductive health tests. Sarah Kimmins' team developed the HisTurn genetic diagnostic tool to provide more precise, personalized diagnoses and improve the efficiency and success of fertility treatment.
Global Action Is Essential
The report states that the overall decline in male reproductive health is a global issue. Falling semen quality, rising testicular cancer rates, and increasing congenital genitourinary abnormalities over recent decades indicate a serious worldwide challenge. It calls for urgent global action on its 10 recommendations to advance research and reform treatment in male reproductive health.
Key Recommendations
1. Male infertility should be recognized as a common, serious medical condition, and patients should have access to meaningful diagnoses and treatment;
2. Establish global biobanks and databases with standardized collection of clinical and lifestyle information from infertile men, their partners, and children;
3. Standardize the collection of de-identified tissue samples and clinical data;
4. Fund more international collaborative research on how genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors affect male fertility across populations;
5. Integrate genomic sequencing into male infertility assessment;
6. Develop more diagnostic tests to improve diagnosis and identification of causes;
7. Rigorously test compounds that affect male fertility, especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and develop safer alternatives;
8. Rigorously test assisted reproductive technologies before clinical use;
9. Conduct public education campaigns to promote discussion and awareness of male infertility;
10. Strengthen healthcare professional training and support lifelong management of male reproductive health.
News | Global Rise in Male Infertility Prompts Calls for Diagnostic and Treatment Reform
News | Global Rise in Male Infertility Prompts Calls for Diagnostic and Treatment Reform
According to the World Health Organization, infertility now affects one in six couples of reproductive age, with male factors involved in about 50% of cases. As male infertility rises worldwide, researcher Sarah Kimmins and 25 international experts argue that men should have access to meaningful diagnoses and targeted treatments. In most cases, however, these measures are still not fully available.
In a consensus report published in Nature Reviews Urology, Kimmins and colleagues proposed 10 recommendations to improve the health of men and their children while reducing the burden on female partners. The recommendations call for greater attention to male reproductive health, better diagnostic and treatment methods, and more personalized care.
Environmental and Lifestyle Effects on Male Infertility
Professor Sarah Kimmins noted that the rapid decline in male fertility cannot be explained by genetics alone and that environmental factors are major contributors. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, rising obesity, poor diet, stress, cannabis use, alcohol, and smoking all affect male fertility. She called for public health education and encouraged men to adopt healthier lifestyles several months before trying to conceive.
Urgent Need for Better Diagnosis and Treatment
Male infertility is currently assessed mainly through family history, physical examination, hormone levels, and semen analysis. These methods have been used for more than 50 years and lack sensitivity and precision. Researchers are calling for more funding to develop more accurate reproductive health tests. Sarah Kimmins' team developed the HisTurn genetic diagnostic tool to provide more precise, personalized diagnoses and improve the efficiency and success of fertility treatment.
Global Action Is Essential
The report states that the overall decline in male reproductive health is a global issue. Falling semen quality, rising testicular cancer rates, and increasing congenital genitourinary abnormalities over recent decades indicate a serious worldwide challenge. It calls for urgent global action on its 10 recommendations to advance research and reform treatment in male reproductive health.
Key Recommendations
1. Male infertility should be recognized as a common, serious medical condition, and patients should have access to meaningful diagnoses and treatment;
2. Establish global biobanks and databases with standardized collection of clinical and lifestyle information from infertile men, their partners, and children;
3. Standardize the collection of de-identified tissue samples and clinical data;
4. Fund more international collaborative research on how genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors affect male fertility across populations;
5. Integrate genomic sequencing into male infertility assessment;
6. Develop more diagnostic tests to improve diagnosis and identification of causes;
7. Rigorously test compounds that affect male fertility, especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and develop safer alternatives;
8. Rigorously test assisted reproductive technologies before clinical use;
9. Conduct public education campaigns to promote discussion and awareness of male infertility;
10. Strengthen healthcare professional training and support lifelong management of male reproductive health.
Source:
Collected online