Men should develop a reproductive life plan of their own in conversation with their partner. A man’s health and lifestyle can affect his fertility and the health of a fetus and his female partner during pregnancy. Here are some things that providers can do to help a male patient work towards a healthy pregnancy with his partner.
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- Screen and treat male patients for sexually transmitted diseases.
- Discuss the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Encourage male patients to stop or reduce smoking, drinking, and using drugs. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke have a 20% higher chance of having a baby with low birthweight and heavy alcohol use and use of street drugs can cause male infertility.
- Discuss working toward and maintaining a healthy weight. Men who are obese have an increased rate of male infertility. Providers should offer nutritional counseling and support in establishing healthy lifestyle habits related to diet and exercise.
- Encourage male patients to review their family’s medical history, since some ethnicities are associated with a higher risk for certain genetic conditions. Discuss family history related to reproduction, such as history of recurrent miscarriage, infant death, infertility, and birth defects. Consider whether a male patient and his partner need genetic counseling during pregnancy planning or when pregnancy occurs.
- Screen male patients for mental health conditions, interpersonal violence in the home, and stressors, such as financial hardship. Addressing these issues may reduce the risk for violence in the home during pregnancy, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality for a mother and her fetus.