Latest news with #maleFertility
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Former NFL player Corey Parchman addresses male infertility in new book
Former NFL player Corey Parchman appeared on "CBS Mornings" Wednesday to discuss his new book "IVF Playbook for Men," sharing his personal experience with infertility and advocating for greater awareness of male fertility issues. Parchman, now a real estate developer, wrote the book after struggling to find resources for men going through infertility treatments. At least 30% of infertility cases are related to male factors, yet men are less likely to discuss the issue or seek support. "As I went through the process, there was nothing out there for men that were going through the process," Parchman said. "There's a ton of information for women, and it should be, because women carry 99% of the load ... So I wanted to create this book as a resource for men." Parchman and his wife, Elisha, endured five IVF cycles over two-and-a-half years, including multiple miscarriages, before welcoming their son. He described receiving the initial diagnosis of male factor infertility as shocking. "I asked the doctor to do a recheck. You're not talking about me, are you?" Parchman recalled. "It's a shock because as you grow up you think this is the process of having kids. It's as simple as ABC.'" The former athlete said he felt like he was being "the weakest link on the team," and worried he had let his partner down. Throughout the process, he struggled with feeling sidelined during a time when he wanted to be actively involved. "I'm a person that's a fixer. I fix things. This situation I had to sit back and put the faith in my doctors and my wife," he explained. "Once you get out of your own way and realize it's not about you, it's about your family, the process becomes easier." Parchman said there's an importance of open communication between partners during fertility treatments. He and his wife created what he called a "safe space" where they could express their feelings without judgment. The book also addresses how to handle well-meaning but often misguided advice from friends and family. Parchman advised giving people grace while recognizing that their suggestions may not be helpful. "I had friends tell me, 'Eat three eggs and spin around and jump,'" he said. "Thanks for the advice, but I'm listening to the doctors." Beyond becoming a father, Parchman said the IVF journey transformed his understanding of masculinity. He now advocates for men to be more vulnerable and open about their struggles. "It's being vulnerable, creating a space to express how you feel with your partner or friends," he said. "I want to speak out and tell men it's okay to speak out about your feelings and thoughts because we all have them." "IVF Playbook for Men" is available now. Victim's father speaks out about Kohberger guilty plea, "He's not gonna take accountability" Extended interview: Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to CBS News after U.S. strikes Trump meets with lawmakers ahead of House budget bill vote
Times
29-06-2025
- Health
- Times
Men's biological clock linked to IVF miscarriages
Men have a reproductive biological clock that makes miscarriages more likely in IVF pregnancies involving older fathers, research has found. Men are able to produce sperm throughout their lives, making it possible to conceive a child at any age — as proved by Al Pacino and Sir Mick Jagger, who became fathers again at the ages of 83 and 73 respectively. Male fertility is, however, known to decline with age. It was previously known that sperm from men over the age of 45 has a lower chance of successfully fertilising an egg during the IVF (in vitro fertilisation) process. Jagger with his son Deveraux, who was born when the singer was 73 and his partner Melanie Hamrick was 29 Now research has confirmed that the father's age remains a factor after a successful fertilisation, with a lower rate of live births through IVF for babies conceived by middle-aged men even if the egg came from a younger woman.
Gizmodo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
This Cat Poop Parasite Can Decapitate Sperm—and It Might Be Fueling Infertility
Male fertility rates have been plummeting over the past half-century. An analysis from 1992 noted a steady decrease in sperm counts and quality since the 1940s. A more recent study found that male infertility rates increased nearly 80% from 1990 to 2019. The reasons driving this trend remain a mystery, but frequently cited culprits include obesity, poor diet, and environmental toxins. Infectious diseases such as gonorrhea or chlamydia are often overlooked factors that affect fertility in men. Accumulating evidence suggests that a common single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii may also be a contributor: An April 2025 study showed for the first time that 'human sperm lose their heads upon direct contact' with the parasite. I am a microbiologist, and my lab studies Toxoplasma. This new study bolsters emerging findings that underscore the importance of preventing this parasitic infection. The many ways you can get toxoplasmosis Infected cats defecate Toxoplasma eggs into the litter box, garden or other places in the environment where they can be picked up by humans or other animals. Water, shellfish and unwashed fruits and vegetables can also harbor infectious parasite eggs. In addition to eggs, tissue cysts present in the meat of warm-blooded animals can spread toxoplasmosis as well if they are not destroyed by cooking to proper temperature. While most hosts of the parasite can control the initial infection with few if any symptoms, Toxoplasma remains in the body for life as dormant cysts in brain, heart and muscle tissue. These cysts can reactivate and cause additional episodes of severe illness that damage critical organ systems. Between 30% and 50% of the world's population is permanently infected with Toxoplasma due to the many ways the parasite can spread. Toxoplasma can target male reproductive organs Upon infection, Toxoplasma spreads to virtually every organ and skeletal muscle. Evidence that Toxoplasma can also target human male reproductive organs first surfaced during the height of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, when some patients presented with the parasitic infection in their testes. While immunocompromised patients are most at risk for testicular toxoplasmosis, it can also occur in otherwise healthy individuals. Imaging studies of infected mice confirm that Toxoplasma parasites quickly travel to the testes in addition to the brain and eyes within days of infection. In 2017, my colleagues and I found that Toxoplasma can also form cysts in mouse prostates. Researchers have also observed these parasites in the ejaculate of many animals, including human semen, raising the possibility of sexual transmission. Knowing that Toxoplasma can reside in male reproductive organs has prompted analyses of fertility in infected men. A small 2021 study in Prague of 163 men infected with Toxoplasma found that over 86% had semen anomalies. A 2002 study in China found that infertile couples are more likely to have a Toxoplasma infection than fertile couples, 34.83% versus 12.11%. A 2005 study in China also found that sterile men are more likely to test positive for Toxoplasma than fertile men. Not all studies, however, produce a link between toxoplasmosis and sperm quality. Toxoplasma can directly damage human sperm Toxoplasmosis in animals mirrors infection in humans, which allows researchers to address questions that are not easy to examine in people. Testicular function and sperm production are sharply diminished in Toxoplasma-infected mice, rats and rams. Infected mice have significantly lower sperm counts and a higher proportion of abnormally shaped sperm. In that April 2025 study, researchers from Germany, Uruguay, and Chile observed that Toxoplasma can reach the testes and epididymis, the tube where sperm mature and are stored, two days after infection in mice. This finding prompted the team to test what happens when the parasite comes into direct contact with human sperm in a test tube. After only five minutes of exposure to the parasite, 22.4% of sperm cells were beheaded. The number of decapitated sperm increased the longer they interacted with the parasites. Sperm cells that maintained their head were often twisted and misshapen. Some sperm cells had holes in their head, suggesting the parasites were trying to invade them as it would any other type of cell in the organs it infiltrates. In addition to direct contact, Toxoplasma may also damage sperm because the infection promotes chronic inflammation. Inflammatory conditions in the male reproductive tract are harmful to sperm production and function. The researchers speculate that the harmful effects Toxoplasma may have on sperm could be contributing to large global declines in male fertility over the past decades. Preventing toxoplasmosis The evidence that Toxoplasma can infiltrate male reproductive organs in animals is compelling, but whether this produces health issues in people remains unclear. Testicular toxoplasmosis shows that parasites can invade human testes, but symptomatic disease is very rare. Studies to date that show defects in the sperm of infected men are too small to draw firm conclusions at this time. Additionally, some reports suggest that rates of toxoplasmosis in high-income countries have not been increasing over the past few decades while male infertility was rising, so it's likely to only be one part of the puzzle. Regardless of this parasite's potential effect on fertility, it is wise to avoid Toxoplasma. An infection can cause miscarriage or birth defects if someone acquires it for the first time during pregnancy, and it can be life-threatening for immunocompromised people. Toxoplasma is also the leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States. Taking proper care of your cat, promptly cleaning the litter box and thoroughly washing your hands after can help reduce your exposure to Toxoplasma. You can also protect yourself from this parasite by washing fruits and vegetables, cooking meat to proper temperatures before consuming and avoiding raw shellfish, raw water and raw milk. Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
