Abstract :
On average one out of six European couples experience infertility, which is defined as one year of unsuccessfully trying to conceive while having frequent intercourse. Looking at the reasons for unfulfilled parenthood, approximately 50 per cent are due to female pathology and 50 per cent are due to male issues. However, society as well as medicine (both Western and Eastern) tends to focus on treating the female side of childless couples. Since the percentage of male factor infertility is the same as that for female infertility, treatment of the male partner is under-represented. On top of this, male factor plays an important role in early pregnancy loss and should be treated in order to prevent miscarriage. This article explains the importance of treating the male partner of the infertile couple and offers tips for clinical success. Keywords Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, TCM, infertility, male factor, sperm analysis, miscarriage, andrology, male infertility