Men wanted to take to take part in Exeter fertility survey

University of Exeter researchers are looking for fathers, or men trying to conceive a baby, to spare a few minutes to fill in an online survey to help find out why increasing numbers of couples are suffering from fertility problems.

The study will investigate the effect that stress, smoking, alcohol and occupation may have on male fertility.

The causes of fertility problems in men are largely unknown as most research focuses exclusively on mothers. This study addresses the problem by asking questions about the environmental factors that are encountered by men in everyday life, at home and at work. 

Jessica Adams, PhD researcher in Biosciences at the University of Exeter said: “More than 14 percent of couples will have difficulty conceiving and we want to understand why this is. The aim of this survey is to shed light on whether our environment and lifestyle could be having a major impact on our reproductive health.”

Previous research from the group has found that men who keep a mobile phone in their pocket may suffer reduced fertility. The researchers would like responses from any men over the age of 18, whether or not they have suffered fertility problems in the past. All information provided will be completely anonymous. The overall results of the project will be published at the end of the study on the University of Exeter website. 

The survey takes less than ten minutes to complete and can be found at the following link: www.exeter.ac.uk/biosciences/reproductivehealth

The survey will remain active until December 2014.