I recently read an interesting article by Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, titled “What Urologists Want You to Know About Male Infertility.”What intrigued me most was that the article emphasized the need for care beyond medical treatments when dealing with male infertility, rather than just focusing on causes and treatments as the title suggests.
For men who link masculinity to self-worth, the possibility of being infertile can lead to a serious identity crisis. However, a World Health Organization (WHO) survey shows that about 48% of infertility cases involve male factors, making it essential for both partners to be part of the treatment process.
According to Dr. Brahmbhatt, the first step for men is to “separate myths from facts.” Below are some key points from the article:
• Male fertility naturally declines with age, affecting sperm quality and genetic integrity.
• Lifestyle choices—such as smoking, vaping, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity—significantly lower sperm quality and production.
• Health issues like varicocele, infections, and hormonal imbalances can hinder fertility.
• Environmental factors such as heavy metals and excessive heat can impair sperm function.
• Stress disrupts hormones essential for sperm production.
• Supplements can be useful for specific deficiencies but are not universally effective for boosting fertility and should be used with caution.
• Frequent ejaculation does not harm overall fertility. While it can temporarily reduce sperm count, it helps eliminate old sperm, potentially improving fertilization chances.
Although at-home test kits are now widely available, accurate data is crucial for doctors to recommend the best treatment—whether lifestyle changes, supplements, medication, surgery, or assisted reproductive technology. Innovative approaches continue to emerge. Recently, an AI-based method called STAR (Sperm Track and Recovery) successfully identified functional sperm from an azoospermic patient, leading to a pregnancy after 18 years of infertility treatment.
Dr. Brahmbhatt stresses that addressing the emotional challenges couples face on the path to parenthood is often harder than offering tests or treatments. These challenges affect men as well as women. To ensure the best treatment outcomes, men should also seek fertility counseling and consider early consultation with a urologist or male infertility clinic.
我最近读了一篇由美国中佛罗里达大学医学院副教授贾明·布拉姆巴特（Jamin Brahmbhatt）医生撰写的文章，标题是《泌尿科医生想让你了解的男性不育知识》。这篇文章吸引我的地方在于，它强调男性不育的应对需要超越医学治疗的关怀，而不仅仅是标题所暗示的病因和治疗方法。
对于那些将男子气概与自我价值联系在一起的男性来说，可能存在不育问题可能会导致严重的身份危机。然而，世界卫生组织（WHO）的调查显示，大约 48% 的不孕不育病例与男性因素有关，因此，治疗必须同时关注男女双方。
布拉姆巴特医生指出，男性的第一步是“澄清事实与误区”。以下是文章中的重点：
• 男性的生育能力会随着年龄自然下降，影响精子质量和遗传完整性。
• 吸烟、电子烟、过度饮酒、肥胖等生活方式会显著降低精子质量和数量。
• 精索静脉曲张、感染、激素失衡等健康问题会妨碍生育。
• 重金属和过度高温等环境因素可能损害精子功能。
• 压力会扰乱精子生成所需的激素。
• 补充剂对某些缺乏症有帮助，但并非普遍提高生育力的“灵丹妙药”，使用时需谨慎。
• 频繁射精不会损害整体生育力，虽然会暂时减少精子数量，但有助于清除老化精子，反而可能提高受孕成功率。
虽然如今有方便的居家检测套装，但只有获得准确的数据，医生才能建议最合适的治疗方案——无论是生活方式的调整、补充剂、药物治疗、手术，还是辅助生殖技术。创新方法不断涌现。最近有报道，一种名为 STAR（精子追踪与回收） 的人工智能技术成功在无精症患者中找到功能正常的精子，使一对不孕不育18年的夫妇首次怀孕。
布拉姆巴特医生强调，帮助夫妇应对在成为父母的道路上遭遇的情感困境，比提供检查或治疗更具挑战性。这种困境不仅影响女性，也影响男性。为了获得最佳治疗效果，男性也应积极参与生育咨询，并尽早就诊于泌尿科或男性不育门诊。