Fertility Is Not Just a Women’s Issue and Why Male Health Matters More Than You Think

Infertility is often framed as a women’s problem, but Dr. Lucky Sekhon challenges that narrative directly.

On The Tamsen Show, she states that male factors account for approximately 50 percent of infertility cases. Despite this, male evaluation is frequently delayed or overlooked, leaving women to shoulder testing, treatments, and emotional burden alone.

Sperm health influences more than the ability to conceive. It affects embryo development, miscarriage risk, and pregnancy outcomes. Chronic medical conditions, smoking, sleep deprivation, and metabolic health all play a role.

Dr. Sekhon explains that while men produce new sperm throughout life, this does not confer immunity. Sperm quality declines with age and is sensitive to environmental and lifestyle factors. Poor metabolic health and unmanaged insulin resistance can impair sperm DNA integrity.

The encouraging part is that sperm health is modifiable. Lifestyle changes can meaningfully improve outcomes. Dr. Sekhon emphasizes principles that overlap with cardiovascular health. Regular cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, adequate sleep, and a Mediterranean-style diet rich in antioxidants support both sperm and egg environments.

She also cautions against extreme dietary eliminations unless medically indicated. Removing gluten or dairy without intolerance does not improve fertility and often increases stress, which itself affects reproductive health.

A central shift is responsibility-sharing. Fertility evaluation works best when both partners are assessed early and concurrently. This approach reduces delays, avoids unnecessary interventions, and reframes fertility as a shared biological process rather than a personal failure.

Dr. Sekhon’s perspective restores balance. Fertility care improves when blame is removed and biology is addressed on both sides of the equation.

If you want to learn more, listen to this episode of The Tamsen Show podcast.