What if the fertility issue isn’t with you… but with your partner? Men are often hesitant to take a fertility test. It’s threatening because a low sperm count can really affect male self esteem. But 9 percent of all men in the population have a fertility issue, and since it takes two to make a baby, you should definitely become aware of some of the things that impact male fertility. Guys generally don’t talk about this stuff and are less likely than you are to go out and get information.

Most people don’t know that male fertility starts to fall in the mid-30s. And very significantly over age 40. So while your partner may have a sensitivity about the subject, lower production and fewer healthy sperm are actually the norm for this age group. This isn’t a manhood issue, it’s a simple fact of male physiology. A male fertility test is an important benchmark for assessing a couple’s chances of conceiving quickly and easily.

On the home front, encourage him to eat right. Men with a body mass index of over 25 have a 20% greater risk of infertility. Figure out a way to get more vitamin A, C and E into his diet, they’re are all crucial to repairing sperm DNA. Don’t let him dabble in testosterone or anabolic steroids. He may think they are great for his muscles but they derail signals to the brain that trigger sperm production. If he’s a smoker (tobacco or grass), get him to quit. It can hurt his sperm production, motility and (in the case of marijuana) actually damage sperm DNA.

And since prolonged heat exposure kills sperm, keep him out of the tight undies, hot tubs and saunas. Make sure he’s not working for prolonged periods with a laptop on his lap. A lot of men do and it impacts sperm health.