Thanks to our episode sponsor Examenlab who has created Exact tests to give a clear picture of the quality of sperm DNA, you can see whether or not there is a possibility of improving it. Visit examenlab.com to find out more

You've heard a snippet of our chat with professor Sheryl Homa explaining the big gap in treatment for men at the GP surgery and how all too often they are fast-tracked through the doors of a fertility clinic when more investigations should and could be done. Listen in full

Also, Gareth Down talked about the male-only Facebook group he set up, find out how you can join and listen in full here

Dr. Muhammed Akhtar explains how men can make lifestyle changes to prevent a decline in sperm count. Listen to the full episode here.

Gaz spoke about what he wished he’d known sooner after having failed cycles and multiple miscarriages and then finding out about sperm DNA fragmentation. Listen here.

Professor Sheena Lewis, who created the Sperm Comet test talks more about what the test can show you. Listen here.

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Why are there such gaps in our knowledge when it comes to male reproductive health? Well as we continue with our Early Years theme we're in conversation with Rene Almeling -   sociologist and author of a new book called Guynecology, a smart book with a smart title.

The Fertility Podcast is dedicated to giving a voice to male fertility issues, both with the expert interviews we share and inviting men to come and share their experiences. We also champion the importance for Men to be included in ALL fertility discussions, which we know often isn't the case.

Natalie came across Rene's book after reading an article in Elle magazine and didn’t hesitate to get Rene on the show as we needed to hear more about Guynecology!

Rene takes us back in history to explain why, until recently, men’s reproductive health was largely ignored. At the end of the 19th century, a move by US doctors to develop a male fertility speciality was ridiculed, mainly due to the stigma surrounding what was then in focus - venereal disease. In the 1960s another group of doctors developed the speciality Andrology but to this day Andrology is in no way near the established speciality like its female reproductive health equivalent.

A pet hate of Kate’s is that fertility clinics rarely work alongside each other, and Rene tells us about emerging research looking into paternal effects and why it is important to have more joined-up working. This new research suggests that the impact of age, lifestyle and exposure to chemicals, in the 2-3 months that sperm is developing, can damage sperm in a way that can impact not just fertility, but importantly the health of the child.

Rene talks about the importance of adding male fertility to the school curriculum and missed opportunities of talking to young men about their reproductive health. From her research into the topic, Renee concluded that we don’t need a whole new speciality of male reproductive health. We just need to take our umbrella of reproductive health and stretch it to cover men too.

Rene’s book is so interesting and if you have an interest in male fertility or you or your partner are struggling with male factor infertility then this is for you. You can also win Natalie's bookmarked copy ( with a lot of post notes for reference ) via her Insta

Please do review this episode via Apple Podcasts as we'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Meet Professor Sheryl Homa – Clinical Scientist and director of Andrology Solutions, an HFEA licensed male fertility clinic offering expert care and advice on men's fertility.

Sheryl spoke about how we currently deal with infertility is wrong and how Sheryl she believes the triaging for fertility is inappropriate.  Women are fully investigated however there is currently very little focus on the man. As a result, couples are put forward for IVF treatment when they may not necessarily need it.

If a man is investigated appropriately and treated then men’s fertility may be improved to optimize their natural fertility or improve their chances of successful IVF treatment.

Sheryl recommends that GPs consider referring men to a urologist or andrologist early on for proper management. More awareness on this issue is required and greater empowerment and education of both GPs and patients.

Can pick up conditions such as a varicocele or an obstruction. Varicocele repair is not always successful and not indicated for very small varicoceles, however, pregnancy rates following a repair are equal to or better than IVF success rates. Whilst it repairs fertility, IVF gives the couple a baby but the couple is still infertile, there is no treatment for their infertility.

Men may not always notice a varicocele, however, it is most likely to present on the left side, the teste may be larger, may feel discomfort and the pain may come and go. Men also complain of their teste feeling like a bag of worms.

More men are being diagnosed with poor sperm parameters from using protein supplements and shakes. A recent study showed that these supplements contained some steroid compounds. Sheryl recommends that men should not take any protein supplement or shake as not all ingredients are listed.

Supplements such as antioxidants work to reduce oxidative stress. A varicocele can raise oxidative stress and damages DNA.  You can have a normal sperm analysis but still have oxidative stress. Sheryl recommends that men have oxidative stress testing before starting antioxidants and then repeat testing after 12 weeks.

The mumps virus can cause inflammation of the testes and can cause men’s tubes to become blocked. Men have 6kms of tubes in their testes! Sheryl believes that unexplained infertility is actually un-investigated when it comes to men. She recommends that men are proactive and ask their GP for a referral to an uro-andrologist and that fertility clinics are more inclusive in working with male fertility specialists. Treating male infertility will reduce the need for invasive IVF and the demand on NHS resources, leaving more money for couples who really need IVF treatment. Support for men – men need support and information in a different format to women and a podcast or male-only fertility support groups on Facebook, for example, allows for anonymity.

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Meet Rod Silvers, our latest guest on 'Talk Fertility' the show I'm co-hosting with Kate Davies for UK Health Radio.

We caught up with Rod, Actor, and Writer about the impact of infertility on men, why medical professionals need to include men in the conversations, and the importance of getting men talking. Rod’s film and play covering the topic of male fertility are England Expects and Terry and Jude.

I've met Rod a couple of times and was struck by his cheeky chappy persona and have been keen to capture his story to share with you for a while. Rod has recently been on Radio 4 interviewing experts in the field of male fertility. Rob struggles to talk about his fertility journey but uses his voice and creativity to encourage other men to get talking.

In our, chat Rod talks about how he feels that men are beginning to open up and talk more but states it’s important not to make the assumption that all men will talk. Some men feel they can or shouldn’t talk. It’s not a weakness to talk but a strength.

We discussed 'The Arc of Life' something that came out in a conversation Rod had with Dr. Robin Hadley about the differing ways infertility affect men throughout their life. You can hear a previous conversation I had with Robin here and you can search by Robin's name in the podcast section of this website, to find hear more of our conversations. 

Rod talked about how he recently spoke to a gay man who talked about how he is finding it really hard to talk about fertility among the gay community.

We also discussed how during Rod and his ex-wife’s IVF treatment Rod felt that there was no involvement or inclusion for him as a man.  Apart from the first appointment he was never again involved in a conversation during their IVF treatment. This was something we certainly experienced during our treatment and it caused stress between the two of them.

Rod talked about how all of his focus was on his wife and he wanted her to be happy and get what she wanted and therefore he didn’t focus on himself or even considered talking.

We spoke about Andrologists who are the experts in male fertility but men are infrequently referred. Jonathon Ramsey, a renowned urologist promotes the fact that all men should be examined as well as having a semen analysis and you hear a clip with Jonathan at Fertility Fest at the end of this episode. 

Points discussed were how focusing more on men could, in some circumstances, avoid the invasive, expensive, and emotionally draining IVF treatment.

We asked Rod his advice to his younger fertile self would be – talk. Tell someone how you feel and more importantly talk to your partner and tell them how you feel. It’s a strength, not a weakness.

Find out more about Rod here 

Listen to ‘My name is Rod Silvers’ BBC Radio 4 show -

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Meet Gareth James, who spoke to me to share his experience of male factor infertility and how, when it comes to fertility investigations, men are often the ignored partner. Here he is with his wife Sarah. 

Gareth and Sarah had an initial diagnosis of PCOS and Gareth was diagnosed with poor sperm parameters but very little consideration was given to his issues. No advice was given apart from stopping smoking and reducing alcohol. He felt completely ignored and the focus was all on his wife.

After the third cycle of ICSI, a nurse at the clinic suggested that Gareth considers having a DNA fragmentation test. After failed cycles and two miscarriages, this was the first time he had heard of this.

However, the consultant advised against this.

Experts in the field  - Dr. Jonathon Ramsey felt that Gareth had been given incorrect advice from the clinic consultant, based on the age of his wife and their individual situation.

Gareth has high levels of oxidative stress in his sperm and is now making significant lifestyle changes such as nutrition, stopping alcohol, reducing high-intensity exercise.

Both Gareth and Sarah have had counseling to help cope with the emotional impact of infertility. They feel isolated among their friends who have not experienced infertility. They would love to find other couples in their area who have experienced similar situations.

Gareth has raised a complaint against their clinic and the NHS and has been informed that the Trust has complied with their policies. However, he argues that their policies are out of date. He firmly believes that had he been referred to a urologist at the start or at least informed of this so he could have sorted a private referral, this would have made a significant difference to the outcome.

Following tests, chromosome issues were identified and this can lead back to sperm DNA fragmentation. Gareth now feels he doesn’t want to go through fertility treatments again and is concentrating on natural fertility for the next 6 months and if unsuccessful they will consider embryo donation or adoption.

Garth's advice to men – make sure they look at their own fertility. See a urologist and have the tests on offer to save time and emotional heartache.

You also hear a conversation with Jonathan Ramsay from a previous episode I shared - when my hubby and I went to visit him. Please click here to listen 

I also mention a piece of research that is taking place, studying the causes of male infertility since there is so little research about this - you get a free semen analysis, DNA fragmentation test, and testosterone test. If you are interested please use the following link to find out more 

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All too often men feel overlooked or invisible when it comes to talking about fertility issues. It's not your average conversation for the pub, we know! But with infertility being a 50/50 issue between men and women and sperm count being on the decline across the world, we want to help the conversation along, so the brilliant group of ladies I'm involved with aka 'Talk Fertility' which is all about making fertility information accessible brought together some top-notch men's fertility experts to offer top tips, to help both men and women understand what can be done to improve their sperm health and ultimately their fertility.

We discussed:

- Getting your head around what lifestyle and environmental factors can affect your fertility eg. diet, smoking and drinking, protein shakes, toxins, oxidative stress

- Be clear on what tests you can do at home, or via your GP, or the ones you can pay for at a fertility clinic to understand more about your sperm

- How to field the questions if you're being asked about having children, how it feels to be a man and not be able to have children

- Understand the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer, encouraging males to visit their GP if they detect any of the signs or symptoms.

Our panel was

Rosie Tadman 

Rosie Tadman (DipCNM, BANT, and CNHC Reg) is a Nutritional Therapist who studied at the prestigious College of Natural Medicine, in London. Rosie now has a home clinic in Chorlton, Manchester. Rosie uses Modern Science + Traditional Wisdom to support couples to conceive. Rosie looks at root causes rather than masking symptoms.

Dr Muhammed Akthar 

Qualifying in Lahore, Pakistan, Muhammad completed his medical doctor (MD) at the University of Warwick and carried out further Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialty training at the Mersey Deanery. He is heavily involved in systematic reviews including Cochrane reviews and randomized controlled trials, with many internationally-published research papers and textbook chapters. Muhammad is also an instructor for the British Fertility Society special skill modules and is a Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) course facilitator and joins us from St. Mary's NHS Hospital, Manchester.

Robin Hadley

Independent Researcher who specializes in male childlessness. Robin's counseling and own experience led him to self-fund his MA and MSc (University of Manchester, 2008; 2009) on the desire for fatherhood and the levels of desire for parenthood in childless people and parents. His Ph.D. (Keele, 2015) examined the impact of involuntarily childless on the lives of older men. He is a founder member of the campaign group Ageing Without Children and has written a great deal about his experience wantedtobeadad.com

Dr. Michael Caroll

Course Director, MSc Clinical Science / Cellular Science, Manchester Metropolitan University. Michael studied toxicology and shares his insight about lifestyle and environmental factors affecting male fertility. After completing a Ph.D. in reproductive cellular physiology from the University of Newcastle he went on to do post-doctoral positions at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern, Dallas - The CNRS, Station Zollogique, VileFranceh Sur Mer, France, and at Southampton University. After his...

For too long the male experience has been invisible. Traditionally the vast majority of tests and treatments have been focused on women. It’s been assumed that men have the ‘easy bit’ – all they need to do is go into a room with their favorite porn movie or magazine and wank! But is this really true? You'll hear Actor and Writer Rod Silvers talking about his short film England Expects which uses football as a metaphor for going through unsuccessful IVF, and he follows up play Terry and Jude which looks at the lives of two older, single, childless men and Elis Matthews – the rapping reverend – will be (over)sharing about the lived experience of a man diagnosed with azoospermia and his unconventional route to parenthood.

Rod and Ellis joined the panel discussion with leading fertility experts of the ‘male experience’, Dr. Benjamin Abramov, Medical Director, Gennet City Fertility, and Jonathan RamsayConsultant Urologist at Hammersmith & Charing Cross Hospital and was chaired by Anya Sizer from Fertility Network UK.

To find out more about the event sessions click here 

Sperm Banter

Meet Paul and Helen and a little bundle of joy!  I spoke with Paul about his experience of treatment, after the couple had been through two failed rounds of IVF - with their embryos only getting to day three and despite having transfers, they never made it through their two-week wait.

Having been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, the couple had access to NHS funding and after their first failed cycle was told it was due to the quality of their egg. After their second cycle, they assumed there would be some feedback and were surprised and saddened to learn there wasn't. 

They had no follow-up appointment, no feedback, nada. Paul talked about how he wasn't spoken to during the appointments, nobody made eye contact with him which sadly is something I've heard from a number of men. He described feeling like a spare part and not being able to help the situation.

He did go to counseling - due to other things happening in his world which helped and he explained how the pair were open with their closest friends but talked about how awkward it had been having that first with someone unless they’ve been it as they don’t know what’s involved and that emotional strain you got through with each cycle.

I'm always keen to share men's stories to hopefully help more men know they're not alone and that there are other guys willing to talk about this and I have a number of previous episodes talking about male fertility issues which you can hear more of here 

I also mentioned the next Talk Fertility event happening in Manchester on 12th June, which is all about male fertility issues and you can still get tickets here 

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