UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Experts claim that the NHS’s neglect of male infertility is resulting in couples undergoing unnecessary IVF treatments, as limited testing and awareness leave treatable conditions undiagnosed.
As reported by The Guardian, health experts warn that couples are undergoing unnecessary IVF as male infertility remains under-researched and the NHS often misses treatable causes.
Specialists stated that male infertility is often untreated in couples trying to conceive due to poor GP understanding, a lack of experts, and limited NHS testing, despite men representing 50% of infertility cases.
Many causes of male infertility are treatable. For instance, varicocele, a swollen scrotal vein that damages sperm by raising testicular temperature, can be fixed surgically, alongside lifestyle changes and supplements.
What did experts say about NHS failures and male infertility diagnosis?
Vaibhav Modgil, honorary clinical professor at the University of Manchester and consultant urological surgeon and andrologist, said male infertility remains under-recognized, affecting up to one in ten men in the UK.
He stated that women trying to conceive are often quickly given comprehensive tests, whereas men can face long delays before receiving basic fertility checks.
Mr Modgil added,
“I don’t think the issue has ever gone away or received the attention it’s deserved,” adding that fixing he situation “will require a top-down approach at a much higher level. Unfortunately I can’t see evidence that’s happened yet.”
He also noted that while gynaecologists mainly handle fertility cases, most regions have only one or two specialists focusing on men’s reproductive health.
Experts expressed disappointment over the newly released men’s health strategy, which failed to include a focus on male infertility, like Australia. It is reported that a refreshed women’s health strategy could address male infertility.
Dr Michael Carroll of Manchester Metropolitan University called the strategy positive but said it misses the mental health impact and reduced life expectancy among infertile men.
He said,
“Historically, fertility has been seen as a women’s health issue. It was always considered as ‘the barren woman’ because men think they’re fertile if they’re producing semen.”
Mr Carroll added,
“Men should be considered on parity with women. We should do more rigorous testing, more lifestyle and medical history, we should physically examine the testes – not just give a semen analysis.”
Raj Mathur, a consultant in reproductive medicine and former chair of the British Fertility Society, said male infertility remains under-researched.
He added,
“There’s been a neglect of male fertility issues. At the moment the number of tests for men that are evidence-based is relatively small. We really need more money to research what the appropriate tests for men are through randomised control trials looking at different interventions to see if they actually make a difference.”
Tim Shand, founder of Men’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, called the draft proposals a positive step, but said they don’t go far enough.
He said there could be a “significant cost benefit for the NHS in doing a proper and full assessment of men before initiating the standard IVF process,” and support couples’ mental health.
What did the Department of Health say about male infertility?
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said,
“For too long, there has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships when it comes to their health. This includes male infertility.”
They added,
“The Men’s Health Strategy sets up a strong foundation for improving how we think and act on men’s health. It is a bold first step, and we will learn and adapt as challenges emerge.”
What are the major causes of male infertility?
The major reasons for male infertility include medical and physical conditions such as varicocele, infections, hormonal imbalances, ejaculation issues, tumors, and undescended testicles.
Lifestyle and environmental factors also contribute, including smoking, alcohol and drug use, exposure to toxins, overheating of the testicles, and obesity.
Genetic causes play a role as well, including Klinefelter syndrome, cystic fibrosis gene mutations, Y-chromosome microdeletions, and Kallmann syndrome.
What is the IVF process and how does it work?
IVF refers to in vitro fertilization, a process used to help couples conceive, and it includes three main stages. The initial stage involves ovarian stimulation, where patients receive hormonal injections for 8–14 days to produce multiple eggs, which are closely monitored via ultrasound.
The second phase is egg retrieval and fertilization, in which mature eggs are collected and combined with sperm in a lab to create embryos over 3–6 days.
The final stage is embryo transfer, where a healthy embryo is placed into the uterus, and any remaining viable embryos are often frozen for future attempts.
