Excessive intake of alcohol, cigarettes contribute to male infertility – Expert

Excessive intake of alcohol and cigarettes are major contributory factors to male infertility, Dr Olawale Oba, an Obstetrician and Gynecologis, has said.

Oba, a Senior Registrar at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, made this known to our reporter on Friday in Lagos.

“In the cause of evaluations, it has been identified that some major causes of male infertility include excessive intake of alcohol and cigarettes.

“There has been a rise in the number of men affected through excessive consumption of alcohol.

“Though, testicular and genital infections also contribute greatly to male infertility, all these require immediate evaluation and treatment.

“It is required for such people to see a urologist, but before then, it is advisable for doctors to evaluate the patients and see if they can get some treatments before the referral.

“This is because the urologist will look at the sperm analysis and also check the male genital track, if there are any forms of scrotal swelling that can contribute to infertility,” he said.

Oba, however, advised men to take preventive measures to reduce their risks of infertility caused by alcohol and tobacco intake.

“Smokers and people who take excessive alcohol should cut down on the habit, especially now that people are taking lots of concoctions.

“Men who are addicted should seek immediate help from either a psychologist or therapist in order to help control the level of alcohol or smoking consumption.

“For those that may have genital problems, they should report early for necessary solutions as late presentation may be difficult to rectify,” he said.

The expert said that often times, men were the major causes of infertility in unions.

“Contrary to popular belief that women are major causes of infertility, both male and female factors share the same percentage of blame.

“This is evident now, as men are currently coming for evaluation more than in the past, when it was only the woman that goes for evaluation,” Oba said.