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Right now, one in six heterosexual couples trying to start a family is struggling to conceive, 

according to the World Health Organization

. And while there is a large body of research on female infertility and treatments like in vitro fertilization, the same can't be said for male infertility. 

Recently, a team of international experts published a 

 urging governments and health systems around the world to recognize what they say is becoming a “crisis” for male infertility. 

Dr. Christopher De Jonge, an adjunct professor in the Department of Urology at the U of M Medical School and co-founder of 

, said the most visible indicator is declining sperm counts worldwide. That’s not only due to genetics, but environmental factors and lifestyle choices, too. 

“[Being] overweight, smoking, those are all a part of disrupting what would be optimal reproductive health,” Dr. De Jonge told MPR News. “Cigarettes, smoking, for example, can actually [have an[ impact on the DNA — those pieces that create who each of us are as an individual and in our offspring — and it can take that DNA and cause it to be cut up into pieces, which is clearly an abnormal situation.” 

Part of the author’s hope in publishing their paper is for international health organizations, health care systems and insurance companies to reclassify male infertility as a disease, acknowledge its frequency and severity, and that “patients have a right for diagnosis and treatment for that condition,” Dr. De Jonge said. 

As for the public, Dr. De Jonge says more educational tools and public health campaigns could raise awareness and lead to better outcomes.

“Most females have, when they reach puberty, a monthly reminder, if you will. The man has no equivalent reminder,” Dr. De Jonge said. “And so once the man, the boy leaves the house… he goes missing from seeking health care unless it's something acute… And so having awareness about your body, about the importance of having an annual — or even once every two years — physical exam gives you an opportunity for not only early detection, but importantly, earlier intervention.” 

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While there is a large body of research on female infertility and treatments like in vitro fertilization, the same can't be said for male infertility. 

Why doctors say male infertility is becoming a crisis

Why an international coalition of doctors say male infertility is becoming a crisis

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