Austrian men overestimate their fertility
Father's Day is on 12 June - The Kinderwunschzentrum an der Wien warns: Becoming a father is not as easy as you think.
Our experts at the Kinderwunschzentrum an der Wien warn: Austrian men overestimate their own fertility. Men's fertility starts to decline at the age of 40 and has an impact on the health of the child. A study commissioned by us shows that this knowledge has not yet reached society: two thirds (66.7%) of all men over 50 consider themselves to be very or rather fertile. Overall, only 8.3 percent of all men think about having their sperm examined. We want to raise awareness here and are founding the "Androzentrum", which focuses on fertility disorders in men.
„Male fertility is a good indicator of how men's health is doing in general - and this is a major concern for us. It happens more and more often that we have to tell men that they are almost infertile. Many only confront the issue of fertility during fertility treatment, although measures should be taken early on.“ (Medical director Prof. Heinz Strohmer)
The issue of fertility is more often associated with women
Although the topic of fertility concerns both the male and female sex, fertility is exclusively associated with women by 28 percent of men. A quarter of all men have also never thought about male fertility and thus do not recognise infertility as a personal problem. Nevertheless, one in six said they knew a man with fertility problems.
„Fertility is not just a women's issue, but unfortunately men deal with it far too rarely. The causes of infertility are to be found in 55.4 percent of cases in the man, 14.9 percent in the woman and in 29.7 percent of cases in both partners.“ (Medical director Prof. Andreas Obruca)
Men over 50 overestimate their own fertility
Overall, 70.1 percent of Austrian men consider themselves to be very fertile. There is no great difference in age here: 75.6 percent of 20-29 year-olds and 66.7 percent of all 50+ men. Women of this age have probably had different experiences - only 28 percent of women over 50 rate their partners as fertile.
„Reality shows that men overestimate their fertility immeasurably - and this is dangerous. The age of the man can also have an impact on the later health of the child. Studies show that the sperm cells of 45-year-old men are less mobile compared to men under 35. We therefore recommend that, if possible, pregnancy should be realised at a younger age.“ (Prof. Obruca)
Male fertility remains a taboo subject
For 44.4 percent of all respondents, male fertility is a taboo subject that is not talked about. It is striking that especially people between 30 and 39 years do not talk about this topic - here 56.8 percent feel male fertility is a taboo topic.
"We were particularly shocked by this result because this is often the age when the desire to have children is greatest. If it doesn't work to get pregnant naturally, the problems are often first sought in the woman. A simple spermiogram can already provide important insights.“ (Prof. Strohmer)
More women than men know what a spermiogram is
A spermiogram is used to check the fertility of a man's sperm cells. However, only 17 per cent of all men know what a spermiogram actually is and what its benefits are. Women are better informed in this area: 21 percent have already heard of a spermiogram and know what it is all about. Men's ignorance about their own fertility examinations is also reflected in practice. Because only 8.3 percent of men even think about having their sperm examined. Accordingly, for about 90 percent of all men, their own fertility is not a topic they deal with.
Wilhelm Busch is outdated: "Becoming a father is not difficult, but being a father is!
This saying no longer seems to apply: becoming a father has become more difficult than men think. Research results show that the unfulfilled desire to have children is mostly due to reduced sperm quality. There are fewer and fewer sperm in the seminal fluid of Austrian men. This leads to men becoming increasingly infertile. Current figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) also confirm a decrease in sperm concentration. Just 50 years ago, the average per millilitre of ejaculate was over 120 million sperm cells - today it is only 60 million.
How men can improve their sperm quality
With the following medical recommendations, men can improve their sperm quality and thus increase their fertility. A healthy diet definitely plays a significant role. Experts recommend a balanced diet consisting of a mixture of fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil, little red meat and lots of fish instead. Obviously, nuts and meditation also have an improving effect. About half of all men (47.8 %) would also be willing to change their diet if they wanted to have children, among women it is significantly more (59.1 %).
„It is particularly important not to smoke, to maintain a normal body weight, to do enough sports and physical exercise, and to avoid anabolic steroids or hormone preparations in the fitness sector. Male fertility is complex and there are several reasons why the desire to have children remains unfulfilled. That is why we founded the Androzentrum. Our team of experts specialises in male fertility in order to optimally accompany couples on their fertility journey.“ (Prof. Strohmer)
Make an appointment for a consultation
Every journey starts with the first step: whether you just want to check your sperm quality for the time being or you already have an unfulfilled desire to have a child - contact our first contact team and arrange your preferred appointment for an initial consultation at the Kinderwunschzentrum an der Wien!
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