无法生育曾经被认为是妇女的问题，但是这种观点在2004年被改变。因为英国生育协会透露在过去十年男子的精子数量下降了29%。许多因素可以导致这一后果，包括咖啡的过度饮用、手机的过度使用。而且，医生们普遍同意生活方式也会对精子的健康产生影响，例如吸烟、饮酒以及不良饮食习惯。
如果您和您的配偶正在进行“宝贝计划”，以下的建议可以助您一臂之力：
一、为他买一些尼古丁贴片以戒烟。
二、减少脂肪：为他多做一些水煮及烧烤食物，来代替油炸食品，让他多吃瘦肉及低脂肪食物。
三、远离沙发：让他每周做3次剧烈运动，每次20分钟；或者每周做5次中等强度运动，每次半小时。
四、远离毒品。
五、禁止大量饮酒：鼓励你的丈夫为了孩子，应尽量避免参加酒会。
六、每天一杯咖啡：咖啡有助于提高精子活性，但是每天三杯咖啡便会损伤精子，因此不可以让他每天喝太多的咖啡。
七、家里要多准备一些水果和蔬菜：精子的数量会因为感冒而暂时降低，因此应鼓励丈夫多吃富含抗氧化剂的水果和蔬菜以提高免疫力。
八、尽量少用手机：美国的一项研究表明，每天用手机通话4小时的男子的精子与从不用手机的男子的精子相比，不仅数量要少25%，而且质量也低。
九、不要让他把手提电脑放在膝盖上办公：当他想在餐桌上工作时，请不要大惊小怪。
十、提醒他驾驶期间要经常休息：长途旅行时，让他驾驶一小时后休息十分钟，或者两个人交替驾驶。
十一、淋浴代替热水浴：热水浴、膝上型计算机、驾驶以及过量的脂肪会升高睾丸的温度，不利于受孕。
十二、寻求更多的帮助：如果你们在一年之内仍没有成功怀孕的话，要去找全科医生，他会告诉去找哪一位专家做进一步的检查。
目前，对于男性生育力的认识存在四大误区：
第一个误区：不育与男性不相关。
事实：大约30%的生育问题是与男性单方面相关，而20%是夫妻双方的联合因素所致。
第二个误区：穿宽松内裤比紧身内裤更好。
事实：普遍认为紧身短内裤会升高睾丸的温度并影响精子的产生。然而并没有研究可以证明穿 宽松内裤的男性的精子数量多于穿紧身短内裤的男性。
第三个误区：年龄不会影响男性生育能力。
事实：有人在72岁成为一个孩子的父亲，并不代表生育能力不会随年龄的增长而下降。加利福尼亚大学的一项研究表明，40岁男子的精子有60%不健康，而22岁男子的精子仅有25%是不健康的。
第四个误区：不育等于不孕。
事实：性生活正常的夫妇，如同居一年而未能怀孕称为不孕症。而当原因不能确定时统称为不育症。15～20%的健康成人有生育问题，但是多数可以治愈。
14 November 2006
BOOST YOUR BLOKE'S FERTILITY
IF YOUR MAN SMOKES, BOOZES AND SLOBS AROUND HE MIGHT BE PUTTING PARENTHOOD IN PERIL. HERE'S HOW TO IMPROVE HIS CHANCES OF BECOMING A DAD
By Madeleine Bailey
IT was once seen as a women's issue. But that all changed in 2004, when the British Fertility Society revealed that men's sperm counts had declined by 29 per cent in the past decade.
A range of factors have been blamed - including drinking too much coffee and talking for too long on mobile phones.
But doctors generally agree that lifestyle factors - from smoking and drinking to a bad diet - can affect the health of sperm.
So if you and your partner are thinking "maybe baby", here's how to boost your prospects...
Buy him some nicotine patches
IT'S not just women who should quit smoking before getting pregnant. Research last year from the University of Buffalo found that the sperm of male smokers was less likely to bind to an egg - a vital step in the fertilisation process.
Also, smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction by about 50 per cent for men in their 30s and 40s, according to antismoking charity ASH. This is because it interferes with blood flow to the penis.
HELP YOUR MAN: There's no need for him to go through cold turkey misery. Get him to visit his GP for help, or call Quitline on 0800 002200.
Cut back on the fat
AN increase of 20lb in a man's weight could reduce his fertility by 10 per cent, according to recent research in medical journal Epidemiology. In obese men, extra layers of body fat may surround the testicles, raising their temperature, which may kill sperm or lower sperm production. Dr Jane Stewart of the Newcastle Fertility Centre warns: "Obesity may also upset the hormonal balance in men, encouraging production of 'female' hormones."
HELP YOUR MAN: Cook, grill or bake food instead of frying, go for lean meat and switch to lower-fat products.
Get your guy off the sofa
LACK of exercise, as well as smoking and drinking, is linked to high levels of lead in the blood.
A 2003 study, by the North- Shore Long Island Jewish Research Institute in the US, found that high lead levels may prevent sperm from fertilising an egg. None of the study's participants had jobs that involved lead.
However, there is also some evidence to suggest that exercising to exhaustion can temporarily lower sperm counts.
HELP YOUR MAN: Get him to do three sessions a week of intense exercise for 20 minutes, or five half-hour sessions of moderate exercise.
Discourage drugs
A US study found that the sperm of regular cannabis smokers moved too fast too early, so they suffered "burnout" and were less capable of fertilisation.
Many dope smokers have fathered children, but those with borderline fertility are most at risk.
"THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, may push them over the edge into infertility," says study leader Dr Lani Burkman.
Steroids used by body builders can also switch off sperm production - sometimes permanently!
Help your man: Tell him the drugs don't work - and mention that the muscly Arnie look is out.
Ban beer binges
A FEW drinks won't do any harm but overdoing it will. Besides the effect on performance, alcohol is a toxin, so regular binge-drinking will have an effect on sperm. If your man has borderline fertility, it could lower your chance of conception.
HELP YOUR MAN: The effect won't be permanent so encourage your man to avoid benders while you're trying to get pregnant.
Make him a daily coffee
BRAZILIAN researchers found that men who drank coffee every day had more "motile" sperm (it showed greater strength and endurance when swimming towards the egg) than non-coffee drinkers.
HELP YOUR MAN: Don't give him too much. Three cups a day could damage sperm and lead to failed pregnancies or birth defects says a study at Bradford University.
Stock up on fruit and veg
SPERM counts may drop temporarily in men with colds or flu. So boost your partner's immune system by encouraging him to eat fruit and veg, which are packed with antioxidants.
The super antioxidant of the moment is astaxanthin, derived from marine algae. In clinical trials in the Netherlands, men in couples who'd been trying to conceive for 20 months were given astaxanthin supplements for three months. Fifty-five per cent of those taking the supplement got their partners pregnant compared with 11 per cent who took a dummy pill.
HELP YOUR MAN: Buy him the supplement - a month's supply of Britaxan costs £9.95 from health stores, or call 01723 742345.
Call him on the landline
IN a US study, men who spent four hours a day chatting on their mobiles not only had 25 per cent lower sperm counts than blokes who never use a mobile, but also poorer quality sperm.
HELP YOUR MAN: Scientists say more research is needed but, until then, text him.
Clear space for his laptop
DESPITE its name, the best place for a laptop is on a table - away from your bloke's nether regions. Laptops can reach internal operating temperatures of more than 70¡C - a US study in 2004 found they raised temperatures in the scrotal area of volunteers by 1¡C in just 15 minutes.
HELP YOUR MAN: Don't make a fuss if he wants to work on the kitchen table.
Persuade him to take frequent driving breaks
SEVERAL studies have shown that women whose partners drive for a living take longer to conceive. One found that driving just for two hours could raise the testicles' temperature by around 2¡C, which may affect sperm production.
HELP YOUR MAN: On long journeys, suggest he takes 10-minute breaks every hour or share the driving if you can.
Suggest showers
REGULAR hot baths aren't a great idea for your partner if you're trying to conceive - like laptops, driving and excess fat, they raise the temperature of the testicles.
HELP YOUR MAN: Persuade him to have a shower instead.
WANT MORE HELP?
IF you've been trying to conceive for a year with no success, see your GP who can refer you to a fertility expert for investigation.
VISIT the Infertility Network UK at www.infertility networkuk.com or call 08701 188 088.
TOP MALE FERTILITY MYTHS
1 MYTH: Infertility is rarely male-related
FACT: Around 30 per cent of fertility problems are solely related to men, with a further 20 per cent due to a combination of factors from both partners.
2 MYTH: Boxers are better than briefs
FACT: This is based on the heat theory - that briefs are tighter, increasing testicle temperature and affecting sperm production. However, no studies have yet proven that men who wear boxers have higher sperm counts than those who favour briefs.
3 MYTH: Age doesn't affect male fertility
FACT: The likes of Des O'Connor may be able to father a child at 72 but that doesn't mean male fertility doesn't decline with age. In tests on 100 healthy men aged 22 to 80, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that by the time a man is 40, 60 per cent of his sperm is unhealthy or abnormal compared to 25 per cent of that of a 22-year-old.
4 MYTH: Infertile equals sterile
FACT: Couples are classed as infertile when they've had regular contraception-free sex for a year without getting pregnant. However, the word "sterile" is used when the cause can't be fixed. Fifteen to 20 per cent of healthy adults have fertility problems, but many of these can be treated.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/yourlife/kidsandfamily/tm_headline=boost-your-bloke-s-fertility&method=full&objectid=18091448&siteid=94762-name_page.html
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