Infertility, or failure to get pregnant, was traditionally seen as a ‘woman’s issue’. Well that has been thoroughly debunked by modern science, so you can throw that notion right out the window. In Australia it is estimated that as many as 50% of infertility cases involve male factors, with 30% being caused entirely by the male side.

So the lens has shifted, or rather is currently shifting, to encompass both sides equally. It’s now very common to get a test and openly discuss sperm count, morphology, and motility with your GP.

Acupuncture for female fertility is a big area, backed by a lot of research. Acupuncture for male fertility lacks the same depth of research though it is building steam. A review of studies was published in 2022 with the conclusion that acupuncture is effective for male infertility, though a call for further research was made by the authors.

Male sexual health

Male sexual health covers a number of difficult topics; erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, inhibited ejaculation, and low libido. These are painful topics, especially if you’re someone who suffers from one or more of them. These issues can come with feelings of shame or worthlessness. Well I think that’s bollocks. Sexual issues are just like any other condition, they just happen to affect a particular area. They don’t make you ‘less of a man’ than heart disease, or a broken bone. Those old macho sentimentalities are old news, and can be let go of.

I sincerely believe that issues like erectile dysfunction or low libido need to be talked about more than they are. Too often they’re swept under the rug because they’re uncomfortable. Now I’m not saying you should shout it from the rooftops, but much like depression, having frank conversations about these problems don’t hurt them; it helps.

The issue with these kinds of problems is that they do really affect us day to day. And they’re there, they’re present, they don’t go away. It’s not as easy as just talking about it and they’re gone. There’s work to do. Acupuncture appears to be helpful, but some lifestyle changes will also be needed, and exercises need to be done.

That’s what we can offer. A proactive way to work towards improvement. Chinese medicine isn’t a magic bullet, I can’t just pop some needles in and make your problems disappear. If you’re not prepared to make change in your life, how can you expect change to just show up?