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Thanks to our episode sponsor Examenlab who has created Exact tests to give a clear picture of the quality of sperm DNA, you can see whether or not there is a possibility of improving it. Visit examenlab.com to find out more
You've heard a snippet of our chat with professor Sheryl Homa explaining the big gap in treatment for men at the GP surgery and how all too often they are fast-tracked through the doors of a fertility clinic when more investigations should and could be done. Listen in full
Also, Gareth Down talked about the male-only Facebook group he set up, find out how you can join and listen in full here
Dr. Muhammed Akhtar explains how men can make lifestyle changes to prevent a decline in sperm count. Listen to the full episode here.
Gaz spoke about what he wished he’d known sooner after having failed cycles and multiple miscarriages and then finding out about sperm DNA fragmentation. Listen here.
Professor Sheena Lewis, who created the Sperm Comet test talks more about what the test can show you. Listen here.
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Why are there such gaps in our knowledge when it comes to male reproductive health? Well as we continue with our Early Years theme we're in conversation with Rene Almeling - sociologist and author of a new book called Guynecology, a smart book with a smart title.
The Fertility Podcast is dedicated to giving a voice to male fertility issues, both with the expert interviews we share and inviting men to come and share their experiences. We also champion the importance for Men to be included in ALL fertility discussions, which we know often isn't the case.
Natalie came across Rene's book after reading an article in Elle magazine and didn’t hesitate to get Rene on the show as we needed to hear more about Guynecology!
Rene takes us back in history to explain why, until recently, men’s reproductive health was largely ignored. At the end of the 19th century, a move by US doctors to develop a male fertility speciality was ridiculed, mainly due to the stigma surrounding what was then in focus - venereal disease. In the 1960s another group of doctors developed the speciality Andrology but to this day Andrology is in no way near the established speciality like its female reproductive health equivalent.
A pet hate of Kate’s is that fertility clinics rarely work alongside each other, and Rene tells us about emerging research looking into paternal effects and why it is important to have more joined-up working. This new research suggests that the impact of age, lifestyle and exposure to chemicals, in the 2-3 months that sperm is developing, can damage sperm in a way that can impact not just fertility, but importantly the health of the child.
Rene talks about the importance of adding male fertility to the school curriculum and missed opportunities of talking to young men about their reproductive health. From her research into the topic, Renee concluded that we don’t need a whole new speciality of male reproductive health. We just need to take our umbrella of reproductive health and stretch it to cover men too.
Rene’s book is so interesting and if you have an interest in male fertility or you or your partner are struggling with male factor infertility then this is for you. You can also win Natalie's bookmarked copy ( with a lot of post notes for reference ) via her Insta
Please do review this episode via Apple Podcasts as we'd love to hear your thoughts.
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Male Infertility
Meet Professor Sheryl Homa – Clinical Scientist and director of Andrology Solutions, an HFEA licensed male fertility clinic offering expert care and advice on men's fertility.
Sheryl spoke about how we currently deal with infertility is wrong and how Sheryl she believes the triaging for fertility is inappropriate. Women are fully investigated however there is currently very little focus on the man. As a result, couples are put forward for IVF treatment when they may not necessarily need it.
If a man is investigated appropriately and treated then men’s fertility may be improved to optimize their natural fertility or improve their chances of successful IVF treatment.
Sheryl recommends that GPs consider referring men to a urologist or andrologist early on for proper management. More awareness on this issue is required and greater empowerment and education of both GPs and patients.
A physical examination or ultrasound scanCan pick up conditions such as a varicocele or an obstruction. Varicocele repair is not always successful and not indicated for very small varicoceles, however, pregnancy rates following a repair are equal to or better than IVF success rates. Whilst it repairs fertility, IVF gives the couple a baby but the couple is still infertile, there is no treatment for their infertility.
Men may not always notice a varicocele, however, it is most likely to present on the left side, the teste may be larger, may feel discomfort and the pain may come and go. Men also complain of their teste feeling like a bag of worms.
Lifestyle factors and male fertilityMore men are being diagnosed with poor sperm parameters from using protein supplements and shakes. A recent study showed that these supplements contained some steroid compounds. Sheryl recommends that men should not take any protein supplement or shake as not all ingredients are listed.
Supplements such as antioxidants work to reduce oxidative stress. A varicocele can raise oxidative stress and damages DNA. You can have a normal sperm analysis but still have oxidative stress. Sheryl recommends that men have oxidative stress testing before starting antioxidants and then repeat testing after 12 weeks.
Mumps in adult menThe mumps virus can cause inflammation of the testes and can cause men’s tubes to become blocked. Men have 6kms of tubes in their testes! Sheryl believes that unexplained infertility is actually un-investigated when it comes to men. She recommends that men are proactive and ask their GP for a referral to an uro-andrologist and that fertility clinics are more inclusive in working with male fertility specialists. Treating male infertility will reduce the need for invasive IVF and the demand on NHS resources, leaving more money for couples who really need IVF treatment. Support for men – men need support and information in a different format to women and a podcast or male-only fertility support groups on Facebook, for example, allows for anonymity.
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Meet Rod Silvers, our latest guest on 'Talk Fertility' the show I'm co-hosting with Kate Davies for UK Health Radio.
We caught up with Rod, Actor, and Writer about the impact of infertility on men, why medical professionals need to include men in the conversations, and the importance of getting men talking. Rod’s film and play covering the topic of male fertility are England Expects and Terry and Jude.
I've met Rod a couple of times and was struck by his cheeky chappy persona and have been keen to capture his story to share with you for a while. Rod has recently been on Radio 4 interviewing experts in the field of male fertility. Rob struggles to talk about his fertility journey but uses his voice and creativity to encourage other men to get talking.
In our, chat Rod talks about how he feels that men are beginning to open up and talk more but states it’s important not to make the assumption that all men will talk. Some men feel they can or shouldn’t talk. It’s not a weakness to talk but a strength.
We discussed 'The Arc of Life' something that came out in a conversation Rod had with Dr. Robin Hadley about the differing ways infertility affect men throughout their life. You can hear a previous conversation I had with Robin here and you can search by Robin's name in the podcast section of this website, to find hear more of our conversations.
Rod talked about how he recently spoke to a gay man who talked about how he is finding it really hard to talk about fertility among the gay community.
We also discussed how during Rod and his ex-wife’s IVF treatment Rod felt that there was no involvement or inclusion for him as a man. Apart from the first appointment he was never again involved in a conversation during their IVF treatment. This was something we certainly experienced during our treatment and it caused stress between the two of them.
Rod talked about how all of his focus was on his wife and he wanted her to be happy and get what she wanted and therefore he didn’t focus on himself or even considered talking.
We spoke about Andrologists who are the experts in male fertility but men are infrequently referred. Jonathon Ramsey, a renowned urologist promotes the fact that all men should be examined as well as having a semen analysis and you hear a clip with Jonathan at Fertility Fest at the end of this episode.
Points discussed were how focusing more on men could, in some circumstances, avoid the invasive, expensive, and emotionally draining IVF treatment.
We asked Rod his advice to his younger fertile self would be – talk. Tell someone how you feel and more importantly talk to your partner and tell them how you feel. It’s a strength, not a weakness.
Find out more about Rod here
Listen to ‘My name is Rod Silvers’ BBC Radio 4 show -
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Meet Gareth James, who spoke to me to share his experience of male factor infertility and how, when it comes to fertility investigations, men are often the ignored partner. Here he is with his wife Sarah.
Gareth and Sarah had an initial diagnosis of PCOS and Gareth was diagnosed with poor sperm parameters but very little consideration was given to his issues. No advice was given apart from stopping smoking and reducing alcohol. He felt completely ignored and the focus was all on his wife.
After the third cycle of ICSI, a nurse at the clinic suggested that Gareth considers having a DNA fragmentation test. After failed cycles and two miscarriages, this was the first time he had heard of this.
However, the consultant advised against this.
Experts in the field - Dr. Jonathon Ramsey felt that Gareth had been given incorrect advice from the clinic consultant, based on the age of his wife and their individual situation.
Gareth has high levels of oxidative stress in his sperm and is now making significant lifestyle changes such as nutrition, stopping alcohol, reducing high-intensity exercise.
Both Gareth and Sarah have had counseling to help cope with the emotional impact of infertility. They feel isolated among their friends who have not experienced infertility. They would love to find other couples in their area who have experienced similar situations.
Gareth has raised a complaint against their clinic and the NHS and has been informed that the Trust has complied with their policies. However, he argues that their policies are out of date. He firmly believes that had he been referred to a urologist at the start or at least informed of this so he could have sorted a private referral, this would have made a significant difference to the outcome.
Following tests, chromosome issues were identified and this can lead back to sperm DNA fragmentation. Gareth now feels he doesn’t want to go through fertility treatments again and is concentrating on natural fertility for the next 6 months and if unsuccessful they will consider embryo donation or adoption.
Garth's advice to men – make sure they look at their own fertility. See a urologist and have the tests on offer to save time and emotional heartache.
You also hear a conversation with Jonathan Ramsay from a previous episode I shared - when my hubby and I went to visit him. Please click here to listen
I also mention a piece of research that is taking place, studying the causes of male infertility since there is so little research about this - you get a free semen analysis, DNA fragmentation test, and testosterone test. If you are interested please use the following link to find out more
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MEN MATTER TOO
All too often men feel overlooked or invisible when it comes to talking about fertility issues. It's not your average conversation for the pub, we know! But with infertility being a 50/50 issue between men and women and sperm count being on the decline across the world, we want to help the conversation along, so the brilliant group of ladies I'm involved with aka 'Talk Fertility' which is all about making fertility information accessible brought together some top-notch men's fertility experts to offer top tips, to help both men and women understand what can be done to improve their sperm health and ultimately their fertility.
We discussed:
- Getting your head around what lifestyle and environmental factors can affect your fertility eg. diet, smoking and drinking, protein shakes, toxins, oxidative stress
- Be clear on what tests you can do at home, or via your GP, or the ones you can pay for at a fertility clinic to understand more about your sperm
- How to field the questions if you're being asked about having children, how it feels to be a man and not be able to have children
- Understand the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer, encouraging males to visit their GP if they detect any of the signs or symptoms.
Our panel was
Rosie Tadman
Rosie Tadman (DipCNM, BANT, and CNHC Reg) is a Nutritional Therapist who studied at the prestigious College of Natural Medicine, in London. Rosie now has a home clinic in Chorlton, Manchester. Rosie uses Modern Science + Traditional Wisdom to support couples to conceive. Rosie looks at root causes rather than masking symptoms.
Dr Muhammed Akthar
Qualifying in Lahore, Pakistan, Muhammad completed his medical doctor (MD) at the University of Warwick and carried out further Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialty training at the Mersey Deanery. He is heavily involved in systematic reviews including Cochrane reviews and randomized controlled trials, with many internationally-published research papers and textbook chapters. Muhammad is also an instructor for the British Fertility Society special skill modules and is a Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) course facilitator and joins us from St. Mary's NHS Hospital, Manchester.
Robin Hadley
Independent Researcher who specializes in male childlessness. Robin's counseling and own experience led him to self-fund his MA and MSc (University of Manchester, 2008; 2009) on the desire for fatherhood and the levels of desire for parenthood in childless people and parents. His Ph.D. (Keele, 2015) examined the impact of involuntarily childless on the lives of older men. He is a founder member of the campaign group Ageing Without Children and has written a great deal about his experience wantedtobeadad.com
Dr. Michael Caroll
Course Director, MSc Clinical Science / Cellular Science, Manchester Metropolitan University. Michael studied toxicology and shares his insight about lifestyle and environmental factors affecting male fertility. After completing a Ph.D. in reproductive cellular physiology from the University of Newcastle he went on to do post-doctoral positions at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern, Dallas - The CNRS, Station Zollogique, VileFranceh Sur Mer, France, and at Southampton University. After his...
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The Invisible Man
For too long the male experience has been invisible. Traditionally the vast majority of tests and treatments have been focused on women. It’s been assumed that men have the ‘easy bit’ – all they need to do is go into a room with their favorite porn movie or magazine and wank! But is this really true? You'll hear Actor and Writer Rod Silvers talking about his short film England Expects which uses football as a metaphor for going through unsuccessful IVF, and he follows up play Terry and Jude which looks at the lives of two older, single, childless men and Elis Matthews – the rapping reverend – will be (over)sharing about the lived experience of a man diagnosed with azoospermia and his unconventional route to parenthood.
Rod and Ellis joined the panel discussion with leading fertility experts of the ‘male experience’, Dr. Benjamin Abramov, Medical Director, Gennet City Fertility, and Jonathan RamsayConsultant Urologist at Hammersmith & Charing Cross Hospital and was chaired by Anya Sizer from Fertility Network UK.
To find out more about the event sessions click here
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Sperm Banter
Meet Paul and Helen and a little bundle of joy! I spoke with Paul about his experience of treatment, after the couple had been through two failed rounds of IVF - with their embryos only getting to day three and despite having transfers, they never made it through their two-week wait.
Having been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, the couple had access to NHS funding and after their first failed cycle was told it was due to the quality of their egg. After their second cycle, they assumed there would be some feedback and were surprised and saddened to learn there wasn't.
They had no follow-up appointment, no feedback, nada. Paul talked about how he wasn't spoken to during the appointments, nobody made eye contact with him which sadly is something I've heard from a number of men. He described feeling like a spare part and not being able to help the situation.
He did go to counseling - due to other things happening in his world which helped and he explained how the pair were open with their closest friends but talked about how awkward it had been having that first with someone unless they’ve been it as they don’t know what’s involved and that emotional strain you got through with each cycle.
I'm always keen to share men's stories to hopefully help more men know they're not alone and that there are other guys willing to talk about this and I have a number of previous episodes talking about male fertility issues which you can hear more of here
I also mentioned the next Talk Fertility event happening in Manchester on 12th June, which is all about male fertility issues and you can still get tickets here
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When it comes to Male Fertility, there's so much to talk about in today's episode we're getting under the skin of sperm issues... it's the science bit, discussed by two male fertility experts.
GETTING TECHNICALThere is a lot of information in here from discussions about the surgery that can be performed to assist with sperm blockages to explaining how we can overdose with supplementations when we're trying to improve our health.
Dr. Muhammad Akhtar is a highly experienced Consultant Gynaecologist and an accredited sub-specialist in reproductive medicine, Muhammad specializes in male infertility, andrology, and 3D gynecological scanning.
Dr. Akhtar explains how men who have any medical conditions in their youth, such as diabetes or high blood pressure or need hormone treatments, should have a fertility assessment early as their sperm health might be better earlier and they could freeze samples.
He also explains how men make sperm every day, therefore, all lifestyle impacts such as diet, stress, smoking, heat exposure. It's important to remember that the sperm has been there for 60-70 days. This needs to be made clearer to men.
SupplementationDr. Akhtar talks about how it can be good and bad that men can take too much or change their lifestyle too much if they’re making salads, eating kale…he advises that you need to choose carefully. Find out more about Manchester Fertility here
Arm RaheemMy second guest is Amr Raheem a consultant Andrologist, at Andrology London who I spoke to further about male infertility issues and the surgery that can be done when there are issues regarding sperm retrieval.
International Andrology Londonoffers the latest treatments in men’s healthcare. As a member of the International Andrology (IA), an international collaborative network of the leading practitioners of Andrology its doctors are experienced, Urologist-Andrologist surgeons. We discussed how there are three categories of sperm issues:
Functional:If there’s a problem with the way the 'factory' is working
BlockageIf there’s a blockage somewhere, even though the factory is working, so it’s preventing the sperm to come to the outside
CoitalEg. Sexual action, some men have weaker action, some ejaculate too soon, some have a small penal size or curvature
Find out more about the fertility services available here Follow on Twitter here and Facebook here
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Have you heard of Klinefelters Syndrome and want to find out more?
My latest guest is Raj Baksi, Vice-Chair of Trustees and FB Coordinator of The Klinefelter's Syndrome Association (KSA)
Here's a picture of Raj, which he wanted to show himself rowing in a Cornish gig in the sea & river in Newhaven, East Sussex because Klinefelter's (KS) is often poorly represented online and many people believe KS lack upper body strength and cardiovascular fitness to be able to participate in physically active sports, which is not true in many cases.
In this fascinating chat, Raj talks about how this common congenital condition is found in around 1 in 600 live male births and is caused by the presence of one or more additional sex chromosomes.
Chromosomes are genetic material. Males typically have one X and one Y chromosome (XY) and females have two X chromosomes (XX). Klinefelter’s Syndrome is characterized by the presence of an additional chromosome (XXY).
Sadly as Raj explains, there is a big problem with KS not being very very well known in the medical profession and therefore Men aren't being diagnosed early enough or if they are, they're not being told in a very sensitive way. Raj himself was told very impersonally that he was infertile.
When we know Men aren't great at speaking about this kind of issue, to hear that the information is communicated very bluntly is sad to hear. Raj manages a closed Facebook page which has people all around the world talking about their issues and concerns related to their KS diagnosis details for the private Facebook page are here and if you would like to email Raj directly you can use this address [email protected]
Here is a link to the Fertility Network episode Raj mentioned in our chat as well as one he has written for the Huffington Post
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An extra X Chromosome and male fertility
I can't actually believe I made it to 100.
Well, I can as there's so much that needs to be discussed when it comes to fertility. When I started on this podcasting journey, I had no idea there were so many different factors affecting our success in getting pregnant.
First of all, I want to say thank you for being willing to share your stories with me as I feel I'm in an extremely privileged position to be able to talk to you, and please know how vital it is that we keep this conversation going.
In this landmark episode, I'm putting the spotlight back on male infertility by chatting with Dr. Kevin McEleny about the work he does to train medical professionals to understand more about dealing with men and the issues that could be affecting their fertility.
We discussed Azoospermia and how 10% of men who have production type of Azoospermia have Kleinfelter Syndrome.
This can result in men having issues with their education, weight gain, breast enlargement, a lack of confidence, communication issues, dyslexia, dyspraxia.
Sadly a lot of men aren’t diagnosed early and Kevin explains how there may be opportunities to have put intervention into education which could have affected their life.
One example he shared was of a Dad who thought his son was lazy and playing up at school, however, post-diagnosis the Dad said he felt guilty and would have done something different to help his son more.
Kevin is involved in a research group - with partners in the US, hoping to explore this more and they are also working with the Kleinfelter syndrome association
He is also working with Dr. Esmee Hannah on how men use social media to seek support, as Dr. Kevin feels conventional counting is female facing, which might not be exactly what men want.
Follow Kevin on Twitter here
We're assembling an elite team on researchers here! A sort of Marvel's Avengers for male fertility researchers (can I be Thor?) https://t.co/LdLA7NZgG1— Kevin McEleny (@malefertdoc) September 19, 2017 -
What is Andrology? My episode today takes another look at male infertility.
Dr. Sheryl Homa is why she set up Andrology Solutions and the tests she offers men faced with an infertility diagnosis.
We discuss why she believes Andrology is often overlooked when couples are struggling to conceive. It doesn't make sense when it provides such insight into male fertility.
Intervention can ultimately help with fertility treatment.
Her clinic Andrology Solutions whilst situated in London attracts people from all over the world and offers a range of tests.
One of which is only available at Andrology Solutions tests Oxidative stress levels in semen. Sheryl explains more about in our chat and what Men can be done to help improve their sperm health.
Sheryl Homa works with Urologists such as Jonathan Ramsay who I spoke to in a previous episode and you can listen to here
You can also follow Sheryl on Twitter
Is going to bed early the secret to great sperm? https://t.co/Uq2RwlVCY9— Andrology Solutions (@Andrology_Sol) May 20, 2017I also spoke with James Docherty who has created the Scantily Dad blog which considering he only started in March (2017) has a tonne of content available sharing his infertility journey as well as lots of fab pictures of his gorgeous family.
From how to improve your diet and fitness, to dealing with the fertility treatment every step of the way, James has literally brain-dumped his personal journey for you and personally, I think he's done an awesome job. James has the opportunity as well for you to contribute so if you feel happy to share your journey however doesn't want to go about setting up a blog, he is sharing his platform so do get in touch. You can email [email protected]
You can read more here You can also follow James on Instagram and Twitter
If you have any questions about anything discussed in this episode, please do email me and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.
Until the next time
Natalie x
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Did you know there is a men-only Facebook group, where Guys can go and openly vent about how they're feeling, get advice and support?
Well there is and I caught up with its founder Gareth Downs to talk about his infertility struggles, how lumps he found in his testicles at 18 led to a diagnosis of azoospermia.
As his fertility journey got more complicated with failed cycles and recurrent miscarriages, Gareth became frustrated with his inability to talk openly with his partner about what he was feeling.
He decided to set up a Facebook page and since doing so, it now has over 200 members. Gareth has been speaking out to encourage men to do the same (albeit they don't have to do it to the camera just join the group)
Here is Gareth sharing his story as part of the Hidden Faces campaign for Fertility Network UK
Here's a link to the Facebook group and how you can follow him on Twitter
Plus I mentioned how to become a Patron of this podcast to help me continue to put a voice to infertility. Just pop over here and do let me know if you'd like to share your story. Just email [email protected] x
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This week a new survey released by IVI showed the number of men deeply affected by infertility blues was higher than women.
As many as 7 out of 10 talked about the negative emotional impact of having IVF.
Twice as many men as women talked about the impact of the fertility blues lasting up to five years.
To understand more about the findings, I spoke to Tony Rutherford, Medical Director at IVI about the study. Along with the survey findings IVI has already released a guide to support men going through the IVF process:
'A Man's Guide to Fertility Treatment'
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Did you know, Poor sperm doesn't have to lead straight to fertility treatment.
Instead, it could result in intervention. which could improve your mobility, motility and although it might not mean you can pregnant naturally, it could mean your fertility treatment works sooner rather than on a repeat cycle.
Can you believe that this isn't common knowledge? I couldn't, which is why this podcast episode is really important to me.
Firstly it introduces my husband, Rich. My partner in crime, my baby Daddy. The man was dealt with a massive blow when he was told there was an issue with his sperm count and it meant we needed fertility treatment.
Rich hasn't really spoken to anyone about this, apart from me so I am so proud of him for agreeing to get involved with this episode.
As you will hear Rich and I went to meet Urologist Jonathan Ramsay and had a fascinating chat about our situation - which was one successful round of ICSI treatment.
The conversation took on its own flow with Jonathan and Rich talking about our experience and Jonathan giving his frank expert opinion on the treatment of men suffering from infertility.
He believes there really needs to be a multi-discipline approach early in a couple's attempts to get pregnant when it's not happening naturally and there could be a male fertility issue. He wants for it to be much more common practice for men to have access to Urologists and Andrologists.
I am intending to continue to look into this and provide you with more information and I'd really like to hear from you if you have had any experienced with intervention.
If you would like to speak with Jonathan please email me [email protected] and I will put you in touch with him, or if have anything you would like to comment about this episode, it would be amazing to hear from you as always.
Take Care and until the next time
Natalie x
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You'll hear from Tom who tells their story and is now crowdfunding to make a documentary called The Easy Bit, about how men are affected during fertility treatment. As Tom states very clearly in our chat "I’m very conscious of the fact I never want to compare what men go through to what women go through as it is so very different". Tom however is keen to put the spotlight on the struggles men have and like I try to do with this podcast give them a voice. You can find out more about the crowdfunding campaign to support The Easy Bit here
I first found out about Tom and his partner Nic from Twitter, where I find so many fascinating people willing to share their stories on this podcast. The pair were writing a blog together about their fertility treatment and the challenges it threw in their faces. Nic had to undergo surgery ahead of treatment and the pair documented their steps initially to let their family know what they were going through rather than having to repeat themselves again and again. But as you'd imagine, their blog was far more reaching.
Tom's work for a production company meant he was also responsible for producing the #HiddenFaces campaign for Fertility Network UK which is a brilliant insight into the variety of people affected by #infertility. I urge you to watch the videos.
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Meet Kristen, she's a lovely lady who left me a message via my website ( which you can too), and in this episode, you'll hear her share her story of her and her husband's journey to starting a family, which hasn't been in any way straight forward. Kristen's husband was diagnosed with azoospermia and the pair have been trying for over four years. You get to hear Kristen share her feelings on her husband's diagnosis and where they are now. Kristen has just started blogging, so if you'd like to find out more about her check out her blog
Garry Paton is the producer of The Crossing, which is out in October. Below is a scene from the film - meet Terry before his relationship falls apart! Follow the film progress on Twitter here
Dr. Esmee Hanna, from the Centre for Reproductive Health talked about the research she had done looking at men's use of online forums. You can access the paper here. There is also a third paper that also looks at what they have discovered about male infertility which you can read here
You can follow Esmee on Twitter
And finally, I mentioned the Share Something Amazing campaign that launched in the UK yesterday (Sept 1st, 2016), have a look and I'll try and get them on here at a later date.
#sharesomethingamazing this video explains all! https://t.co/AdmzPAM79K— GCRM-Fertility (@GCRMFertility) September 1, 2016 -
How men deal with involuntary childlessness with my guest in this episode, Dr. Robin Hadley. Robin's research has explored the experience of involuntarily childless older men and following my chat with Jody Day and Kelly Da Silva talking about Childlessness at Christmas I was keen to get Robin's perspective on how men deal with both! He discusses some fascinating issues that affect childless men from social care to ageism and I hope you find our chat as thought-provoking as I did.
You can read more about Robin's work and his reasons for doing it, partly due to his own sense of 'broodiness' and wish to become a father and other press articles about him via his website. You can also read an exert from one of his paper's Involuntary Childless Men and the desire for fatherhood
He shares details of support groups such as:
CALM - The Campaign Against Living MiserablyAging without ChildrenYou can also follow Robin on Twitter
"Age Discrimination in the Workplace is on the Rise—But It’s Hard to Prove" https://t.co/ykD7Zi7Cco by @mcdermott on @LinkedIn— Dr Robin Hadley (@RobinHadley1) December 15, 2016 -
Male infertility needs to be spoken about more as in the UK along 50% of infertility cases are due to the malefactor. ICSI is a breakthrough treatment that is specifically for men with low sperm count and in my chat with ManInfertile who I met on Twitter, he was amazed to have never heard of this treatment, despite talking to professionals about what options he and his wife have for the future. Have a listen and you can find the show notes here show notes on this male infertility episode
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WannabeDad is a blogger who shares his journey in becoming a Dad, as he describes it his fight to become a father -he openly talks about what is involved in men's tests, how men can deal with finding out it's their problem, working through it with a partner and dealing with ICSI
I found Wanna Be Dad on Twitter and have been enthralled by his blog. He is a 30 something male, writing honestly and openly about every detail of his fight to become a father. He says on his About page ' From the scheduled sex to my tiny balls; the monthly emotional rollercoaster to dodgy porn and difficult questions. I'll talk about it all. Even dangling my wife upside down naked, desperately trying to give the little fella's as much help as I can.' This episode is the first of two parts. Episode 7 part 2 will feature Dr. Allan Pacey about the research he is doing on Male infertility.
Items mentioned in this podcast:
What's involved in men's testsHow to deal with finding out it's a guys problemWorking it through with your partnerNot telling your familyICSIIn this podcast you will learn:
Infertility is NOT your faultDr. Allan Pacey talks about his lectures this weekend at The Fertility Show What Men could do to get talkingFollow on Twitter @WannaBeDad
The latest #WannabeDad posting here -for #NFAWUK -a conversation you should never have with your wife -check it out - http://t.co/jg5AAGXehY— Wannabe Dad (@wannabedad) October 30, 2014 - Se mer
