"The sad truth is your odds are better in Vegas than they are in an infertility clinic. "

by Marc Star






Just why male sperm count has dropped so dramatically is no big mystery. The difficult part is honing the list to the most influential factors. The heaviest sperm killers are probably toxins, namely chlorine and its by-products. Danish and Swedish environment ministers are reported to be considering a phase-out of some PVC products in response to Skakkebaek's results. The production of PVC, used to make credit cards and Barbie and Ken dolls, "involves the emission of chlorine and dioxin, one of the most toxic substances known, highly carcinogenic and a potent endocrine disrupter with the capacity to lower sperm counts," says Bob Hunter, co-founder of Greenpeace.

It seems that many industrial chemicals, injected into the air or into the products we use, can actually mimic hormones, says Philippe Grandjean, a professor of environmental medicine at Odense University in Denmark. A female's endocrine system absorbs these hormone-mimicking chemicals and passes them on to her child. Richard M. Sharpe, a research physiologist with the Medical Research Council in Edinburgh, agrees that the decline in sperm is linked to events that affect the endocrine system. The damage is done in the womb, he says, when sperm-producing capacity as an adult is settled for good.

Industrial toxins are just the tip of the iceberg. A man can reduce his count further by his lifestyle: Marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, caffeine, sexually transmitted diseases, tight underwear and hot baths (heat is a major sperm killer) can all reduce sperm counts. Most men now work at sit-down desk jobs instead of physical labor. We depend on vehicles to take us places. And even the exercise we think is so good actually sends bursts of sperm-killing heat through our bodies as opposed to slow, steady, daylong muscle use.

Bee pollen is said to increase sperm count as are herbs like ashwagandha and astragalus. Male infertility may just now be gaining steam, but the female side has already become big business. The sad truth is your odds are better in Vegas than they are in an infertility clinic. A single try at assisted pregnancy can cost a couple about $10,000, and few people stop after a single try. After dropping anywhere from 10 to 50 thousand, the vast majority of women go home as childless as when they started.



Is sadder but wiser the end of the story for infertile women? Hardly. Long-term side effects of potent drugs, including many hormones, are still not completely understood. Dosages that if tested on animals would bring PETA screaming to your door are routinely used on these desperate women.

Su Lin, a woman in her late 40s, underwent infertility treatments for several years. She never did have a baby, despite being treated by three renowned infertility clinics in Los Angeles. Su still remembers the side effects of the treatments: constant hunger, weight gain despite a near-starvation diet, greasy thinning hair, a minimum of six blood tests and six ultra-sounds per month, racking up huge bills that insurance only partially covered. There was no coverage for the drug Pergonal. The Clomid distorted her vision.

Her husband, a young and successful doctor, wasn't left out of the picture. He was forced to rush home and perform anytime conception seemed possible. During attempts at artificial insemination, he had to provide sperm which Su then rushed to the clinic to insure its freshness.

Imagine the anticipation of those two long weeks after ovulation. The hopeful mom-to-be eats a healthy diet, avoids alcohol, smokey rooms, even over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin. Most often, she's disappointed. No baby, and another long, expensive month of treatment if she wants to try again.
For many couples the years of training themselves to perform "quickies" at the drop of a thermometer take a toll on the relationship. The magic's gone, and it's hard to recapture.




Recently, Su Lin's gynecologist diagnosed her with a painful condition-cellular over-growth of the tissues of the labia. The opening to the vagina grows smaller, and penetration, riding a horse or an aerobics class can cause this fragile, scar-like tissue to tear. Intercourse is agony for a woman and an unhappy frustration for her mate.

The cause of this damage, sadly enough, was the hormones used to treat her infertility. As a result Su Lin's labia is annually butterflied open like a shrimp by a plastic surgeon. Dr Matt Van Benschoten, Doctor of Oriental Medicine (OMD) and a California licensed certified acupuncturist, has been practicing acupuncture and herbal medicine for 15 years. He uses an individualized approach to fertility and finds that most of the women who come to him, typically 35 to 40 years old, can be successfully treated in 3 to 6 months. Some women require treatment as long as a year.

Dr Van Benschoten starts with general diagnostic procedures. His approach is to detox the body, thus restoring normal hormone levels. He eliminates infections minor enough not to be noticed but harmful enough to affect conception.

Toxins from pollution and pesticides in food can build up in the liver and ovaries, notes Dr Van Benschoten. Women who consume a lot of dairy products are affected most. Long term use of oral contraceptives can also require treatment to detox. Even a problem like elevated cholesterol levels can be attributed to pesticide accumulation.

Herbalist Roy Upton considers female infertility a result of imbalances associated with poor pelvic circulation. He recommends using a store-bought formula-often called Dang Gui Four-which consists of these four herbs: Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis), Ligusticum, Rehmannia and White Peony. He also suggests Chaste Berry (Vitex agnus-castus), used in conjunction with the Dang Gui formula to stimulate ovulation. These herbs are to be used throughout the month except during menses and halted after conception. But he cautions: "Go to a health food store, traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner or a naturopathic physician and ask for the best Dang Gui/Chaste Berry product available. You have to be diligent in getting a decent product. There are many Dang Gui products consisting of only Dang Gui, or which are not put together that well. One of the more popular capsuled products is 85% millet, and is largely ineffective."

One of the problems with herbal medicine is the lack of standardized, scientific testing and moderation. The FDA may not be a perfect organization, but it generally puts potential medications under a rather fine microscope, unless other political motivations intercede. The fact that it ignores herbal medicines is testament to its shortcomings. We can only hope that what we buy at the health food store is genuinely labeled.

It's ironic though that the solution to infertility may come directly from nature, a side of our world so often ignored and abused. We pump so many toxins into her lungs, it's no wonder the global sperm count has dropped so dramatically. It's nature's natural reaction to being overpopulated with cancer-spewing monkeys. You can't blame her. But these monkeys will be the ones to suffer. Within the next two or three generations, we'll be feeling a serious fertility crisis. We won't wipe ourselves out with nuclear weapons, no hellfire and brimstone. We'll simply wither away until no one's left. Quietly.