Andropause and Testosterone Replacement

Have you ever heard of "andropause"? Its essentially the male equivalent of menopause - older men's bodies produce lower levels of testosterone. Though linked with sexual dysfunction, its a more serious issue that is also tied with fatigue and depression...and it occurs much less often.

An article on business week called Low Testosterone in Older Men Less Common Than Thought sheds light on the problems of how to diagnose and treat andropause:

Many men have been taking testosterone supplements to combat the perceived effects of aging, even though it's not clear if taking these supplements help or if they're even safe. The result has been mass confusion, not only as to whether male menopause exists but also how to treat it.

 "A lot of people abuse testosterone who shouldn't and a lot of men who should get it aren't," said Dr. Michael Hermans, an associate professor of surgery in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and chief of the section of andrology, male sexual dysfunction and male infertility at Scott & White in Temple, Texas.

Its sad (and a little scary) that men are eager to sign up for testosterone replacement therapies before there is research to support these treatments.  And its strange that there isn't more research done, since male sexual health seems to get so much attention from the pharmaceutical companies.

Read the full article and know what you're getting into before getting hormone replacement treatments!

Stress and Male Fertility

What does a healthy sperm look like?

I love the above illustration. It very clearly illustrates abnormalities to look for when analyzing semen quality (using a home sperm test). Since anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of all couples infertility cases are caused by male factor infertility, its important to understand what healthy sperm look like, and what you can do to improve sperm quality if your little swimmers aren't up to snuff.

I found this article on www.healthyfellow.com and thought it was interesting enough to share:

Stress is an inevitable part of every day life. But new research from the University of California, Berkeley offers one more reason for men to better manage it. When stress hormones, such as cortisol, increase in the male body, it leads to a subsequent decrease in another hormone called gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH is made in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, and it plays a role in the production of key hormones (luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone) that can affect the quality and quantity of sperm. This stress/fertility link has been fairly well established in years past. (1,2,3)

Now, scientists have discovered another way by which stress can negatively impact male reproductive health. It appears that glucocortiocoids (stress hormones) also instigate the manufacture of a substance called gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH). This alteration in brain chemistry encourages a further decline in GnRH and the sex hormones necessary for proper sperm activity and production. Another consequence is a decline in sex drive caused by a drop in testosterone levels. (4)

A study published in June 2009 demonstrated an encouraging effect of an herbal extract called Withania somnifera. This herb goes by the common name of Ashwagandha. It plays a major role in Ayurveda, the Indian healing tradition. Ashwagandha seems to address various problems associated with male infertility. Namely, it is believed to provide a stress-modulating effect, a boost in antioxidant protection and a favorable shift in sex hormone levels. 

I've posted before about how yoga can help boost fertility, but people usually assume this applies only to TTC ladies.  Research shows that male fertility can also benefit from the stress-reducing qualities of a good yoga workout/meditation session. The article also mentions antioxidants being of utmost importance to male fertility, antioxidants like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.  If you're worried that you're not getting enough of these, consider a fertility vitamin rich in antioxidants, such as FertilAid for Men.


Read the rest of the article here.  Good luck, and don't stress!

BPA-exposed rats develop polycystic ovarian syndrome

That is the name of this article from Environmental Health News published yesterday.  The study, which examined rats injected with BPA (bisphenol A) - a polymer used to create plastics - found that early exposure to BPA can lead to the rats developing PCOS-like symptoms later in life. PCOS, as most in the TTC community already know, is one of the leading causes of infertility in women.  However, little is understood about what causes PCOS, which is why I found this article so interesting.

The widely used environmental chemical BPA disrupts hormonal activity and has been shown to interfere with the normal development and function of the reproductive system. Scientists have suggested that early exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals, such as BPA, may therefore play a role in the development of PCOS. A team of Argentine researchers recently tested this hypothesis, examining whether exposure to BPA during a critical period of development might contribute to this common disorder. They found that rats exposed to BPA shortly after birth showed symptoms similar to those that characterize PCOS in women, including altered hormone levels, differences in the ovaries and impaired fertility.

Unfortunately, epoxy resins containing bisphenol A are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans, though it is currently under scrutiny. Plastics labeled with either of the following can contain BPA that can leak into food:

There isn't much good news here, folks, this stuff has been on the market for over 50 years.  If you do have PCOS though, I did just read an article about how FertilAid for Women can help women with PCOS.

Good luck, stay healthy, and watch what you eat off of.

Click here to read the rest of the article on BPA exposed  rats and PCOS

Women Aborting IVF Babies

Wow, this story might be a little hard to read, especially for those of you who have been struggling with infertility for years.  Times Online just published an article called IVF babies aborted as mothers lose in love, a look at women in Britain who, after becoming pregnant through IVF, decide to have an abortion for "social reasons".

"Figures obtained under freedom of information rules show that an average of 80 abortions are carried out each year after IVF, which can cost about £5,000. Up to half of these involve women aged 18-34."

The article goes on the profile a few of these women and the reasons for aborting the pregnancy:

Victoria, a secretary from London, decided to abort her much-wanted IVF baby when it became clear her marriage was breaking up. “I couldn’t cope with bringing up a child on my own and I didn’t want any link that would force me to stay in touch with my husband,” she said.

Jessica Rogers, a nursing supervisor at the Marie Stopes clinic in Bristol, said she recently dealt with a woman expecting twins through IVF who had discovered her husband was having an affair. Rogers said: “She was having his babies and she just didn’t want to continue with it on her own. I don’t think he even found out she had been pregnant.”

Now, normally, I'm an unflinching supporter of women's right to abortion, but this might be too much even for me. Though to be truthful, my main objection is with couples recklessly undergoing IVF when they aren't actually ready for a baby.  These stories are awful all around...as horrifying as these abortions are, I can't imagine a child being well cared for in a household where both parents are so unstable and mercurial...

In Great Britain, up to three rounds of IVF are funded by the National Health Service (NHS), in other words, publicly funded. Are couples more likely to undergo IVF irresponsibly when the money doesn't have to come out of their own pockets?  What kept these women from bearing the children they fought so hard to conceive and giving them up for adoption?  What can fertility clinics do to ensure that this doesn't happen?

I don't have the answers, but I do know one thing: Something is seriously wrong in this picture. 

Read the full article here: http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article7144878.ece

Free stuff - A TTC raffle for a good cause

Do you like raffle give aways? Nearly free TTC (trying to conceive) stuff? Helping out a good cause?

Of course you do! That's why today's blog post is just going to be a little link to Busted Plumbing - a great little infertility blog that is calling out to the community for help. She's raffling off TONS of goods from www.FairhavenHealth.com, one of my favorite TTC supply sites, and the proceeds are going to help a little boy whose mother recently passed away. Donate $1 per entry, be a good person, win some stuff. Simple as that :)

Click here to learn more about the raffle.

Or go to this page to donate and enter the raffle between June 3rd and 9th.