Prevalence and Impact of Male Infertility - The worldwide in vitro fertilization (IVF) market is expected to reach $374 billion in 2030 [3] - Approximately one in five couples worldwide experience infertility [4] - Male infertility accounts for roughly 50% of all infertility cases [4] - For a normal fertile man, sperm counts are equal or greater to 40 million sperm per ejaculate [9] - Only 00001% of all sperm actually reach the final destination to fertilize the egg [10] Challenges and Stigma - Awareness and open conversation about male infertility have remained stagnant despite its increasing commonality [5] - Males who are unable to impregnate their partner often experience feelings of inadequacy and shame, impacting their self-worth and self-esteem [7] - Stigma behind infertility often prevents men from seeking diagnosis and treatment [21][28] Potential Treatment Options and Research - Current treatment options, such as Ixie and microtessy, only treat about 50% of patients [16] - For patients that don't produce any sperm, there are no treatment options to currently treat their infertility [16][21] - Research is being conducted to develop new therapies, including stem cell-based approaches to create immature sperm-like cells or transplantable testice cells [22][23][25] - Immature sperm-like cells have been shown to fertilize a monkey egg and produce healthy monkey embryos [23] Actionable Steps - Encourage open conversation to destigmatize male infertility [28][29] - Consider adding a fertility specialist to annual checkups [29] - Adopt lifestyle changes to avoid exposures that impact fertility [29] - Champion causes that seek to expand treatments for male infertility [30]