Men, Fertility & What No One’s Talking About

KhadiYah Preciado
Jul 6
3 min read

When the topic of infertility comes up, the spotlight almost always lands on the woman. But let’s be clear—this isn’t just her issue.

Men are struggling. Quietly. In numbers that should scare us. And too many practitioners, educators, and even natural wellness spaces are still treating male fertility like a side note. That ends here.

Low testosterone, poor sperm quality, erectile dysfunction—these aren’t just “embarrassing” problems. They are core disruptions to family building, covenant legacy, and long-term health. They affect marriages. They influence miscarriage rates. They determine whether a pregnancy even happens in the first place.

Let’s stop tiptoeing and look at the full picture.

Declining Sperm Counts in Men

Paternal Genes and Placental Development

Low Testosterone and Lifestyle Factors

The Emotional Toll on Couples

Let’s Look at the Data:

Declining Sperm Counts in Men

A 2017 meta-analysis showed sperm counts have dropped by over 50% in the last few decades across Western nations—and the decline hasn’t slowed down. That's not a fluke. That’s a collapse.

Plastic packaging, toxic seed oils, endocrine-disrupting chemicals in soaps, receipts, food, air—every single day, men’s hormones are under attack. And it’s not just about getting pregnant—it’s about carrying to term, building strong placentas, preventing preeclampsia, and giving future children a healthy start.

And no, it’s not just “his diet. ”This is generational. Systemic. Spiritual. [Source: Wikipedia]

Paternal Genes and Placental Development

Here’s the truth: paternal genes help shape the placenta—the literal life-source of a developing baby. Genes like DLX5 and PEG10, passed down from the father, are directly involved in nutrient transfer and vascular development in the womb.

So when we ignore the father’s body, his inflammation, his toxic load, his hormone levels—we are ignoring critical factors in fetal growth and maternal health.

As herbalists and practitioners, we can’t keep pretending male health is secondary. [Source: Wikipedia; Wikipedia]

Low Testosterone and Lifestyle Factors

Yes, testosterone naturally dips with age—but what we’re seeing now is different.

Men in their 20s have lower levels than their grandfathers had in their 50s. Why?

Chronic stress
Processed, low-fat diets
Environmental estrogens
Sedentary lifestyles
Hidden toxins in everyday items

Even the most “active” men are showing up in clinic with low libido, high body fat, fatigue, and mood swings—all signs of hormone dysfunction.

And yet most reproductive care still centers women while telling men to “just take a supplement.” That’s not enough. Not anymore.

The Emotional Toll on Couples

Couples dealing with fertility struggles are more likely to face isolation, depression, and even relational breakdowns.

But what makes it worse is when men are ignored in the healing conversation.They’re told to “support her,” when they also need support. Their bodies need detox, repair, and strategy too.

Men Matter in Pregnancy, Too

Here's something else most people don’t know: men contribute to more than just conception. Research has shown that the father’s genes play a role in placenta development and even influence outcomes like preeclampsia—a life-threatening condition for pregnant women. Let that sink in.

So while we keep treating women’s bodies like they’re broken or solely to blame, the truth is, the male contribution to pregnancy goes deeper than we’ve been taught. And when male reproductive health is compromised? We see it—on ultrasounds, in hormone labs, and in the heartbreak of yet another negative test.

This Is Bigger Than One Hormone

We can’t fix infertility by chasing one hormone or recommending a single herb. We have to look at the whole body, the whole environment, and both people. Yah designed the male body with order, rhythm, and reproductive purpose—and that means practitioners must respond with depth, not surface-level solutions.

We need: