Unsure whether your swimmers are winners? There’s an app for that! Scientists from Shafiee Laboratory at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a device that helps with infertility by being attached to a smartphone to analyze sperm quality and count, reports say.
Per research, nearly about one-third of infertility cases are tied to sperm abnormalities, according to the American Pregnancy Association (APA). That’s 1 out of every 6 couples!
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What causes infertility in men?
Although there’s still much research to be performed surrounding sperm, experts point to four main causes of infertility in males:
- A hypothalamic or pituitary disorder (1-2%)
- Gonad disorder (30-40%)
- Sperm transport disorder (10-20%)
- Unknown causes (40-50%)
Meanwhile, sperm abnormalities, low count or lack of sperm and ejaculation problems, may be caused by one or more of the following (per the APA):
- Inflammation of the testicles
- Abnormally developed testicles
- A pre-existing genetic condition
- Alcohol, tobacco or drug use
- Hormone disorders
- Exposure to poisonous chemicals or radiation
- Wearing restrictive underwear
- Injury to the groin area
- Premature ejaculation
- Retrograde ejaculation, which occurs when the semen is forced back into the bladder
- Erection dysfunctions
“Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples globally, amounting to 48.5 million couples. Males are found to be solely responsible for 20-30% of infertility cases and contribute to 50% of cases overall,” a 2015 study, published in BioMed Central, states.
So, How Does It Work?
Using the phone’s camera lens, an accessory case, and a disposable kit, a chip is inserted into the smartphone which collects