They’re cute … and cuddly … but the road to having a baby is not always an easy one. Since 1960, the global birth rate has dropped by nearly one percent every year. Miscarriages have increased by one percent every year and the number of men with declining sperm counts and declining testosterone levels have also increased.
The 2020 census reports that over the last decade, the U.S. population has had its slowest population growth since the great depression. The birthrate has also been declining for the past six straight years.
Growing fertility issues may be one of the culprits. But before you start freaking out about fertility, we have some details on how people may be able to fix their fertility.
Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of reproductive urology at the University of Miami, says that “at least one in three men between the ages of 32 to 50 appear to have low testosterone.”
But before going to IVF, which can cost over $12,000 per try, lifestyle changes can help.
For women, increasing your body weight if you have a low BMI, improving the quality of your sleep, and eating foods, such as steak, broccoli, and spinach to balance your hormones can all help to make your body naturally ovulate.
For guys, maintaining a normal body weight, and avoiding steroid use, stress and exposure to hot temperatures can prevent a low sperm count. So can staying away from certain recreational activities.
“A little too much cannabis has been thought to decrease sperm count,” said Dr. Jack Cassell, with Urology of Mount Dora.
Seventeen states require insurance companies to either cover or offer coverage for infertility treatments. Some of those states include Arkansas, California, Montana, Texas, and West Virginia.