“What does this mean in practice? In 1980, the World Health Organization established a norm of 80 million viable sperm per milliliter of semen for a man to be recognized as reproductively healthy. In the 1990s, this figure was reduced to 40 million, and today the minimum standard is only 20 million. Thus, over a few decades, this indicator has decreased fourfold. Below 10 million, the likelihood of infertility becomes extremely high,” she explained.
It is important to note that this refers specifically to healthy sperm that do not have structural and functional deviations, Chirkina added.
The expert also touched upon the topic of sexual and reproductive education for boys, pointing out that this aspect traditionally receives less attention compared to girls. There is a false belief that boys “intuitively” know how to take care of their health and build intimate relationships.
Chirkina reminded about the annual Men's Health Week organized by the National Urology Center in Kyrgyzstan. During this event, men can undergo free examinations and receive consultations. As part of one such campaign, 1,372 men were examined, and almost 10% of them were found to have pathologies.
She also provided data from the youth-friendly clinic at the student polyclinic: during a preventive examination, various diseases were identified in 929 young people. Urethritis was diagnosed in 622, orchitis in 139, phimosis in 74, and varicocele in 94. “These are young, active students,” she noted.
“Among the problems faced by young people, we can highlight hydrocele of the testicular membranes, cryptorchidism, scrotal pain, and hormonal disorders. The most common pathology remains varicocele, which occurs in 15-20% of boys aged 12 to 25 years. It is recommended to address this issue surgically, as it can lead to infertility. Varicocele is observed in 40% of men with infertility,” Chirkina added.
Another serious problem is cryptorchidism, which can also lead to infertility if not diagnosed and corrected in time.
According to statistics, the absence of a testicle in the scrotum is observed in 2-4% of full-term and 15-30% of premature newborns, as well as in 1% of boys under one year old.
Although less common, hydrocele of the testicular membranes can also lead to infertility in men.
“It is necessary to cultivate a culture of seeking specialists, explaining from childhood how the male reproductive system functions, and not being afraid to openly discuss men's health issues. Unfortunately, today we do not talk about this enough. We need to raise these issues earlier, more often, and more professionally to prevent diseases rather than deal with their consequences,” Chirkina concluded.
The photo on the main page is illustrative: istockphoto.com.
