Chris Barratt, Head of Reproductive Medicine, discusses male fertility, declining sperm counts globally, the need for new male contraceptives, developing a sperm analysis kit for home use, and groundbreaking work in fertility studies.
The decline in sperm counts worldwide is a significant concern with potential implications for fertility, highlighting the urgent need to investigate the causes and develop ways to mitigate it.
Male fertility research has been overlooked, and the focus on female reproductive health has left the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility with limited attention. The development of effective and widely available male contraceptives is necessary to provide reproductive choice and reduce the burden on females.
Deep dives
The Declining Sperm Counts Worldwide and the Importance of Investigating the Causes
The speaker highlights that recent studies indicate a decline in sperm counts worldwide, but the exact reasons behind this decline are not yet known. Factors such as environmental, occupational exposure, and lifestyle have been suggested, but their relative contributions have not been fully understood. However, it is emphasized that this declining trend is a significant concern as it can have implications for fertility and challenges in getting pregnant. The need to investigate the causes of this decline and develop ways to mitigate it is strongly emphasized.
The Overlooked Role of Male Fertility Research
The speaker discusses that male fertility research has often been overlooked, with the focus primarily on female reproductive health. In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments have been centered around getting the sperm close to the egg, leaving the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility with limited attention. This lack of focus on male reproductive health is deemed unacceptable, particularly since the burden of contraception predominantly falls on females. The need to develop effective and widely available male contraceptives is emphasized, to provide reproductive choice and family planning options.
The Quest to Develop a Male Contraceptive Pill
The speaker discusses the efforts to develop a reversible and widely available form of contraception for males, beyond options like condoms or vasectomy. The potential of developing a male contraceptive pill is highlighted as a game changer, offering reproductive choice and reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies. The progress in understanding the biology of sperm, including specific proteins and channels like CatSper, is mentioned as a promising avenue for developing male contraceptives. The speaker suggests that clinical trials for a male contraceptive pill could potentially start within the next few years.
Reproductive science has come a long way in recent years, but there's still plenty we don't understand - particularly around male fertility.
The reliability and availability of data in this field has become more of a concern in light of a study published this year, suggesting that sperm counts worldwide have dropped 62% in the past 50 years. As yet there is no clear answer as to why that is.
Professor Chris Barratt is one of the scientists working to change that. He's the Head of Reproductive Medicine at Ninewells Hospital and the University of Dundee Medical School, and has dedicated his career to better understanding male infertility; driving breakthroughs in how to study sperm dysfunctions – and most recently spearheading advances in developing a male contraceptive pill.
Chris talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about his academic struggles as a youngster, the lecture that changed his life, his research into 'head-banging sperm' and why he believes a new male contraceptive could be a game-changer.
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