Leading medical experts have issued a stark warning that couples across the UK are undergoing unnecessary and costly IVF treatments because the NHS is consistently failing to diagnose readily treatable causes of male infertility.
Men are responsible for 50% of all infertility cases, yet a poor understanding of the issue among GPs, combined with a critical shortage of specialists and dedicated NHS testing, means the male partner is often left untreated when a couple struggles to conceive.
The Hidden Crisis in Men's Health
Many causes of male infertility are, in fact, treatable without resorting to invasive fertility procedures. One of the most common conditions, varicocele – a dilated vein in the scrotum that raises testicular temperature and damages sperm – can be corrected with straightforward surgery. Other issues can be addressed through lifestyle adjustments and supplements.
Vaibhav Modgil, an honorary clinical professor at the University of Manchester and a consultant urological surgeon and andrologist, highlighted the severe lack of awareness. He confirmed that male infertility affects between 5% and 10% of men in the UK.
Professor Modgil pointed to a significant gender imbalance in the diagnostic process. He stated that while women are often rapidly submitted to a battery of tests, it can take years for men to receive even the most basic fertility assessment. "I don't think the issue has ever gone away or received the attention it's deserved," he said, adding that a "top-down approach at a much higher level" is required for a solution.
Systemic Failures and a Disappointing Strategy
The systemic problem is exacerbated by the fact that most couples are seen by gynaecologists, who specialise in women's health, while most NHS regions have only one or two dedicated andrologists specialising in men's health.
Experts expressed profound disappointment with the government's first-ever Men's Health Strategy, published recently, which omitted a strategic focus on male infertility, despite hopes it would follow the example set by Australia. It is understood that the issue may be addressed in a future refresh of the Women's Health Strategy.
Dr Michael Carroll, a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, noted the strategy was a positive initiative but represented a missed opportunity to consider the severe mental health toll and the fact that infertile men tend to have shorter lifespans.
Dr Carroll is now writing a book to close the awareness gap. He explained that many men are unaware of basic protective measures, such as keeping testicles cool, avoiding tight underwear and very hot baths, and understanding how factors like smoking, diet, and exercise directly impact sperm quality.
"Historically, fertility has been seen as a women's health issue," he said. "Men should be considered on parity with women. We should do more rigorous testing... not just give a semen analysis."
Calls for More Research and Better GP Training
Raj Mathur, a consultant in reproductive medicine and the former chair of the British Fertility Society, stated bluntly that male infertility is under-researched. "There's been a neglect of male fertility issues," he said, calling for more funding for randomised control trials to establish evidence-based tests and interventions.
Recent research from Fertility Action revealed the scale of the problem at the primary care level, finding that 80.6% of GPs had received no education on male fertility, and 97% would not be able to accurately examine for varicocele.
While the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is updating its guidelines to recommend more testing for men, campaigners like Tim Shand of Men's Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters say the draft proposals do not go far enough.
Shand argued that a proper and full assessment of men before initiating IVF could offer a significant cost benefit for the NHS and ease the immense mental health burden on countless couples.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded, acknowledging that "for too long, there has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities... This includes male infertility." They described the Men's Health Strategy as a "bold first step" upon which the government would build.
