Coping with Male Fertility Testing - Fertility Testing and Your Health

Fertility testing can have a physical and emotional impact on your health, particularly when it comes to advanced male fertility tests that are more invasive procedures. As such, it is important to maintain good mental and physical health so as to be able to tolerate the sometimes difficult process of male fertility testing, as well as to provide accurate fertility test results.

Moreover, since good health is important to your fertility, embracing a healthier lifestyle can help to improve the success of infertility treatments down the line.

Fertility Testing and Your Body

Maintaining a healthy diet is important to the process of male fertility testing. Consuming a diet that contains many fruits and vegetables, such as leafy greens (spinach, broccoli and kale) and berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) can help maintain proper immune system and reproductive health by providing you with important vitamins and antioxidants.

In addition, whole grains should play a central role in your diet. Wholegrain bread, pasta, rice and cereals provide you with essential nutrients. Lean meat such as chicken and turkey are excellent sources of protein and iron. Another way to make healthy choices is to choose low fat dairy products, including milk, cheese and yogurt.

Exercising regularly is also important to maintaining proper health. Engage in physical activity, such as walking, swimming or cycling for a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week.

Furthermore, minimizing alcohol consumption is important to maintaining good health during fertility testing. In fact, studies have found that men who smoke have lower sperm counts than men who do not smoke. Also, heavy and/or binge drinking (in which four or more drinks are consumed in one evening) reduces sperm quality, which can negatively affect male fertility test results.

Fertility Testing and Your Emotions

Fertility testing can also impact your mental health, meaning that it is important to prepare yourself emotionally for the process of male fertility tests.

Recognize that the process will be emotionally stressful; prepare ways to handle this stress. For example, if you are feeling frustrated or upset, go for a calming walk.

Talk to your partner about your concerns. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to open up about feeling worried about the process of fertility testing; confiding in your partner can help to ease these feelings and also help maintain a strong relationship.