When a couple struggles to conceive, too often the initial assumption is that the woman has fertility problems. But according to the revealing documentary Celebrity Save Our Sperm, which aired on Britain’s Channel 4 last night, a “spermageddon” is coming.
Three great stars of British television, the comedian Russell Kane, the presenter and actor Ollie Locke and Melvin O’Doom, an important radio presenter in the United Kingdom, decided a few months ago to accept their participation in the documentary so that they could examine and “save “his sperm.
For eight weeks, the three men have undergone a series of treatments and experiments aimed at increasing their fertility. “Male fertility is such an important topic that it is rarely discussed and I am full of admiration for Ollie, Melvin and Russell, who have helped us break taboos by opening up the conversation and putting their own fertility under the microscope,” he said a few weeks ago. Clemency Green, editor of Channel 4.
In fact, the documentary comes at a time when numerous reports warn that male fertility rates have halved in recent years, and many experts attribute this to Western lifestyles. Scientists believe that simple lifestyle changes could “save male fertility” for years to come.
In the 1970s, the sperm count for UK men was 100 million per milliliter of ejaculated semen. It has now dropped to an average of 48 million. Following that trend, most men could be infertile by 2045.
The reality of the show is not that three celebrities undergo analysis of their semen, but what they have discovered during the weeks that their sperm was studied.
In scenes rarely documented on television, Kane, O’Doom and Locke have various medical professionals test their semen quality, that is, their sperm count. The surprise comes when Kane finds out that his was much shorter than his classmates.
Several studies ensure that the majority of men could be infertile by the year 2045
During filming, the 47-year-old comedian was told his sperm count was 11 million, much lower than the national average of 40-60 million sperm per milliliter of semen, which is they found O’Doom’s and Locke’s tallies.
Shocked by this discovery, Kane, the father of one son, decided to make some lifestyle changes to increase his sperm count again. Although Kane agreed to be in the documentary “for the laughs”, he later admitted that he was “really surprised” to learn of his lack of fertility, which he was able to correct after 10 weeks.
“The results came in and it’s not what I expected,” Kane told The Sun. “When I found out, it was an emotional feeling, like that feeling you get when you’re sick to your stomach. What does it matter if I have 11 million sperm if I already have a child? It matters because I’m a man and I’m interested in how men’s bodies work “says the comedian.
“There is an emotional link between myself and my sperm count and I never hear anyone talk about it. Never,” Kane said of his experience after the show.
In fact, the comedian has revealed that after the results he began to modify his lifestyle. The program also had different reproduction experts to offer advice on how to increase what José Ortega Cano called “strength semen”.
After discovering his sperm count was below average, Kane stopped going to the spa, traded in tight pants for looser ones, cut back on coffee, started using ceramic mugs instead of plastic cups. and stopped using hair growth products after doctors revealed that they were negatively affecting his sperm.
A few degrees above body heat can severely damage sperm
According to the experts with whom the program has counted, a few degrees above 34º can seriously damage sperm, so they advise that if you want to conceive, avoid hot baths, hot tubs, steam baths and the saunas.
“The testicles hang a lot for a reason. A few degrees above body heat can seriously damage sperm. It breaks the DNA, prevents them from swimming and makes them abnormal,” explains Dr. Arnand Patel on the program.
“When trying to conceive, men should avoid hot tubs, jacuzzis, saunas and steam rooms, including sitting still for too long or trapping their testicles in tight pants. Russell was literally cooking his testicles. Remember, cool your testicles guys,” Patel says.
Russell Kane is not the only one who, following the advice of experts, manages to improve his sperm. In the case of O’Doom, for example, after reducing the consumption of sugars and keeping his testicles at a lower temperature by putting on a small bag of ice while doing his program on Radio 1, he managed to triple his sperm count.
Meanwhile, Ollie, who recently announced she was expecting twins via surrogacy with her husband Gareth, cut out alcohol, junk food and tobacco to improve the functionality of her sperm.
The Made In Chelsea star was told that while his sperm count was normal, his sperm’s DNA functionality was only one-third. It meant that while his fertility was good, the damaged DNA would likely cause a miscarriage, something he and Gareth experienced twice.
“All our lives we have been told about women’s fertility, it is as if women are always to blame if something goes wrong. Now we understand this a little more, this is a two-way street,” he says in the program. “It’s weird not to laugh and joke around, but it’s actually very serious,” she concludes.
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