What is preconception health?

Your preconception health is your physical and psychological wellbeing before you or your partner becomes pregnant.

Why does preconception health matter for males?

Your preconception health matters because being as healthy as possible in the months before you and your partner conceive can improve your health and your future child's health.

Leading a healthy lifestyle in the months before you try to conceive can also help increase your chances of producing healthy and good quality sperm. It also increases the chances of a successful pregnancy.

Your habits can also affect your partner's pregnancy.

Research shows that if you make positive changes to your lifestyle, your partner is also more likely to improve their lifestyle. This also influences their pregnancy and your future child's health.

Choosing to lead a healthier lifestyle also helps to create a healthy and safe environment for your future child.

Male and female preconception health are equally important.

What can affect my fertility?

Your fertility can be affected by many factors such as your:

• medical conditions
• medicines
• sexual health
• age
• genes
• lifestyle
  • alcohol
  • smoking and drug use
  • environmental exposures to pesticides and heavy metals

Medical conditions and fertility

Some chronic health conditions and medicines can affect your fertility. For example, metabolic syndrome, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are linked to reduced sperm count, lower sperm quality and problems with sexual function.

Cancer and fertility

Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can affect your fertility.

If you have cancer, talk to your doctor if you think you might want a baby in the future. There are ways to preserve your fertility. For example, you can freeze sperm or tiny parts of the tissue from your testicles.

Talk to your doctor early so they understand your preferences before treatment begins.

Read more about fertility and cancer.

Weight and fertility

Being a healthy weight increases your chance of conceiving a healthy baby.

Living with overweight or obesity can:

• affect the quality of your sperm
• reduce your sex drive
• make it more difficult to keep an erection

Medicines and fertility

Some medicines can affect your fertility or sexual function. Your doctor will let you know if it's OK to keep taking specific medicines. They can also advise you about complementary treatments and any vitamins or supplements that you take.

Don't stop your regular medicines without first checking with your doctor or pharmacist.

Sexual health and fertility

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can affect your sperm quality and fertility.

Screening for STIs can also reduce the risk of passing on an infection to your partner.

Age and fertility

Males can make sperm into their 70s and beyond. As you get older, your fertility can be affected because:

• your sperm count and sperm quality declines
• your testosterone levels are lower — this affects your sexual functioning and contributes to a low sex drive (low libido)

Males over the age of 40 years have less healthy sperm than younger males. If you are 45 years or older, it may take you longer to conceive. Your partner may also have a higher risk of miscarriage.

Older males have a slightly higher chance of having a baby with health problems, compared with younger males.

If you are older and thinking about having a baby, speak with your doctor.

How do I check my preconception health?

Before you try to conceive, visit your doctor and ask for a health check. Your doctor might review your:

• medical history
• mental health
• medicines (some might be swapped or stopped)
• family or genetic history
• vaccination history

Your doctor may also check for infectious diseases, including STIs such as:

• hepatitis B
• hepatitis C
• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
• syphilis
• chlamydia
• gonorrhoea

They may ask you questions about parts of your lifestyle that can affect your fertility, your partner's pregnancy and your future child's health. These include your:

• diet
• level of physical activity
• smoking status
• alcohol habits
• use of drugs or other substances
• environmental exposure — for example, pesticides, heavy metals and organic solvents

Which supplements should I take before trying to conceive?

Depending on your sperm count and quality and your blood test results, your doctor may recommend other supplements, such as:

• vitamin B12
• vitamin C
• vitamin D
• folic acid
• zinc

Speak with your doctor before you start taking any supplements.

What should I avoid or limit before trying to conceive?

If you are trying to conceive, making some changes to your lifestyle can improve your fertility, the health of your partner's pregnancy and your future child's health.

Quit smoking

There is no safe limit for smoking. If you smoke and are planning to have a baby, it's important to quit before you start trying.

Smoking can:

• reduce your sperm quality
• reduce sperm count
• damage the DNA in your sperm

If your partner is pregnant and you smoke, they will be exposed to your smoking. Research shows that passive smoking can affect your partner's pregnancy and baby's health — it's as if they themselves are smoking.

For help quitting, contact Quitline on 13 7848.

Read about smoking and vaping during pregnancy.

Alcohol and caffeine

Heavy drinking can reduce your sperm count and sperm quality. Reducing your alcohol intake can improve your fertility.

You don't have to completely give up alcohol. Cut back and stay within safe drinking limits.

Read about tips for safe and responsible drinking.

Read about standard drinks.

There isn't enough evidence to show that caffeine affects fertility.

Anabolic steroids

Taking anabolic steroids can stop you from making sperm. They can shrink your testicles, affect your erection and your sex drive.

It can take around 1 year after stopping anabolic steroids for your sperm to be healthy again.

Illegal drugs

It's important to avoid all illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana as these can affect your fertility or sexual function. Talk to your doctor if you need help, or for a referral to drug rehabilitation (rehab) services.

Read more on drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Chemicals

Some common chemicals and substances — at work or at home — can affect your sperm. Examples include:

• pesticides
• heavy metals
• some chemicals and plastics
• radiation

Try to limit your exposure to these and wear protective clothing if you are trying for a baby.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that can affect your hormone levels by:

• affecting your hormones
• lowering your sperm count and quality
• damaging the DNA in your sperm
• increasing the chance of a miscarriage

Some of these chemicals are used as preservatives in foods, cosmetics and pesticides. It's impossible to completely avoid all chemicals. Here are some tips to lower your exposure:

Diet and nutrition

• Choose organic foods when possible.
• Avoid fast food and highly processed meals.
• Limit or avoid canned foods and drinks.
• Eat more plant-based meals or consider a vegetarian diet.
• Include fatty fish in your diet.
• Talk to your doctor about an iodine supplement.

Food storage and cooking

• Use glass or stainless-steel bottles and containers instead of plastic.
• Avoid plastic packaging.
• Avoid non-stick pans.

Personal care and household

• Read labels on cosmetics and choose products free of phthalates, parabens and phenol.
• Remove household dust regularly.
• Take care when choosing cleaning products to use in your home.

Can complementary and alternative medicines affect my fertility?

There isn't enough research to confidently say that complementary or alternative therapies improve fertility.

It's always best to talk with your doctor before starting any complementary or alternative treatments.

What should I do if I think I have fertility issues?

If you think you or your partner are having fertility issues, speak with your doctor. You do not need to go through fertility challenges alone.

Infertility is defined as not conceiving after 12 months of unprotected regular sex. Infertility can affect up to 1 in 5 couples trying to become pregnant.

Your doctor may ask you questions about your and your partner's personal and family medical history. They may refer you to a fertility specialist and recommend some medical tests as part of their evaluation of your fertility.

Read more about fertility tests and treatments.

Resources and support

• Learn more about preconception health with Healthy Male's preconception health checklist for men.
• Visit Your Fertility for information about male and female fertility.
• Queensland Government has information about male infertility.
• Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available from 7 am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week (including public holidays).

Do you prefer to read in languages other than English?

Your Fertility has translated some of their factsheets into many languages other than English.

Looking for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people?

Call 13YARN (13 92 76) 24 hours 7 days a week, for crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that is confidential and a culturally safe space to yarn about your worries or concerns.

You can find out more about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander pregnancy health at Stronger Bubba Born or watch the How to Have a Safer Pregnancy video.

Looking for information for sexually and gender-diverse families?

Visit Rainbow Families to find resources for sexually and gender-diverse families.