Low Sperm Count

My favorite pastime (apart from browsing the Internet, blogging and reading magazines) is to watch TV. I have several shows that I enjoy on a daily basis. One of them is Gordon Ramsay's F word. For those of you who do not know Gordon Ramsay, he is an English chef who enjoys cursing. I have not really tasted his food but I like his style. His show, the F word is a mix of culinary competition and educational documentaries about food in general. The last time I watched the show, Chef Gordon was talking about an interesting topic that I do not get to hear very often: Low sperm count.
Low sperm count is a condition in which a man have lesser sperm than usual, or his sperms are deformed, or they are unable to move. This causes male infertility.

Difference between healthy sperms and low sperm count

Image from radiationtalk.com


During Ramsay's show, he invited a specialist who testified that poor diet had been the main reason of increased low count sperm cases in males in England during the last 20 years. In other words, there are more men having this problem than in the past because they indulge in processed and sugary food instead of going for natural things. I guess, as a result, those men would find themselves less able to procreate.
However, a poor diet is not the only cause for low sperm count. Gordon found out that heat can be another factor. Being a chef, he is constantly in the kitchen near the stoves which lines perfectly with his scrotum area when he is cooking. And he notices that the constant exposure to heat caused his own low sperm count. He is right. In another study (this time in Japan), it was stated that by putting their personal computer on their lap, Japanese men were exposing themselves to low sperm count because the excessive heat coming from the laptop was causing internal damages.
Alcohol, substance abuse (drugs), stress and even bicycle are also known causes of low sperm count.
To remedy to this problem, there are natural and simple ways: eat healthy (many veggies and fruits), drink a lot of water (instead of sodas and alcohol), avoid stoves and putting computers on your lap and just try to exercise and relax.

I guess the reason why I am interested in this topic is that I come from a country where when a couple is unable to conceive, the woman is the first one to be blamed. It is true that women do face serious infertility issues (caused by excision, poor hygiene, stress, bad diet...). Yet it is not always the case that they are at fault when they do not get pregnant. In Senegal, it is an insult to the man's manhood to even suggest that he may be the one with the problem. And women keep on being blamed and suffer the consequences: their husbands divorce them, or get another wife, the family in law keeps on harassing them...Those poor women go through all kind of "abuse" just because in Senegal it is believed that a woman is whole only when she has children. (Nonsense)
Nevertheless, I think for the sake of the entire family, it is best that both parties get tested if they are unable to conceive. There is nothing to be ashamed of for having low sperm count. Instead, it is a "positive" diagnosis since there is a low cost and natural remedy for it. Now if the tests suggest something more serious, the couple need to have a talk and decide what their options are. Communication being the best weapon for a couple, it is necessary that it should be ongoing particularly when it is about starting a family. Something that I think is lacking in our society today...

Info on Low sperm count
http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/causes-low-sperm-count.html
http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/690/main.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4749714_increase-sperm-count.html

Info on Gordon Ramsay's F word
http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/159/index.jsp