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SINGAPORE: The question seemed out of place in a lecture theatre of over 100 young university students: "Are you at risk of childlessness?"
Yet, as obstetrician-gynaecologist Teoh Seng Hin went on to point out, eight to 15 per cent of couples will experience fertility problems at some point in their lives, and couples who have sex during their fertile periods stand only a 30 per cent chance of conceiving.
"When people use contraception, the underlying assumption is that they are fertile," he said.
But while female age is the overwhelming factor in sub-fertility, men's age is "grossly overlooked", said Dr Teoh, who was speaking on Thursday at a sexual health awareness talk at the Nanyang Technological University organised by the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association, Bayer Schering Pharma and the university.
From the time men are in their late 20s, the chances of their contributing to a successful pregnancy fall by 11 per cent each year.
The chances of a successful live birth also dip, while the likelihood of passing on genetic abnormalities increase, warned Dr Teoh.
Dr Teoh - who also has a Master's degree in men's health and andrology - said he was sharing his experience with the students so that they can be forewarned about the problems that may emerge later in their lives.
"If you see enough patients, you'll find that a lot of them miscarry," he said.
"Many problems can't be reversed because of age," he added.
Another fertility doctor, Prof Christopher Chen, told TODAY that none of the men in the couples who consulted him in the last five years has passed the "sperm test".
"I have couples who come to see me to ask if they are all right making babies in two to three years' time. I tell them, 'You don't have to worry about contraception or abstaining because your sperm is poor anyway.'
"Within their means, couples should try not to delay too long," advised Prof Chen, who runs a private practice at Gleneagles Hospital.
The Sperm Test
There are seven tests to determine the quality of sperm, said Prof Chen:
Count: at least 20 million sperm per ml of semen
Motility: At least 40 per cent of the sperm must be able to swim from the vagina to the fallopian tubes
Shape: At least 25 per cent must be of normal shape
Longevity: 70 per cent of the sperm must still be very active after three days
Binding: 80 per cent must be able to penetrate or attach to the egg
DNA fragmentation: No more than 15 per cent of the sperm should have broken DNA
Woman's cervical mucus: At least 25 per cent of the sperm must stay unaffected by this
- TODAY/fa
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