Women who are struggling with conception issues inevitably tend to go the tech way to keep track of their ovulation period and know in advance the best time to do ‘it’. “But doesn’t it take two to tango? So why are most of the fertility-tracking apps only for women?” wonders Aparajita Madhok (32), a media professional, who was wise enough to download an app on her phone to keep track of her cycle. But after months of trying in vain, she decided to meet a gynaecologist who after subjecting her to a plethora of tests and scans asked her partner to get the sperm analysis done.
Madhok’s worst fears came true. “The power to procreate isn’t always as simple as deciding on whether to wear boxers or briefs. Male infertility is on the rise and quite common. It is usually responsible for about 50 per cent of all infertile cases. The commonest reason is low sperm count,” says Dr Raman Tanwar, consultant, urologist and andrologist, Urocentre—Jyoti Hospital, Gurugram. In most cases, a man is expected to comply with onerous restrictions like reduction in social drinks, and not even an occasional smoke, and keep stress and steroids at bay to fulfill his paternal dreams. As Akshat Sharma realised in his umpteen meetings with the andrologist that he needed to answer a host of other questions that could play a role in his infertility, such as how often does he exercise, smoke, or masturbate. “It was not easy to follow the tough regime,” he rues.
Bogged down by such existential crisis that was proving to be roadblock on Sharma’s way to fatherhood, he started looking for a handy tech help and stumbled on Trak: Sperm Health and Fertility app and downloaded it to make “small changes to his health and habits that could make a big impact on sperm count, fertility and overall health.” The free app helps assess one’s health and lifestyle risks, track sperm count or semen analysis results, and get personalised recommendations to improve sperm count.
Welcoming the popularity of such fertility app for men, Dr Sumana Banerjee, consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology, Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi, says, “The onus shouldn’t always be on the women. Men too need to be under the scanner if the couple has been having unprotected sex for a year with no success, and the woman comes clean on tests and scans.”On a rather pessimistic note, Dr Tanwar favours using these so-called fertility apps only for maintaining records of sperm counts. He says that unlike hundreds of fertility apps that are currently available for women, male fertility apps are just like other fitness apps that advocate adopting a healthy lifestyle to overcome infertility issues.
“Apps that can predict fertility potential of men are not even on the horizon yet. A medical team does not design such apps that are being downloaded at the drop of a hat and the information that they feed an anxious mind may be picked from unreliable websites,” says Dr Tanwar. If the torture doesn’t stop even after starting the right treatment, the way out is to go ahead with assisted reproduction.
What’s HOT
WOMEN
YONO in-ear ovulation tracker keeps fertility tracking, natural family planning and hormonal health monitoring simple. It is an easy to use, comfortable, silicone-encased earpiece, which is worn all night. Hundreds of data points are collected during sleep, which is then synced when the earbud is stored in the base station to provide continuous body temperature data. The YONO app uses machine-learning algorithms to plot a monthly fertility chart for future fertility prediction.
MEN
YO Home Sperm Test is a new, innovative app that turns your smartphone into a testing device for assessing motile sperm concentration (the number of moving sperm). Results include a live video of your sperm and can be shared with medical professionals to expedite treatment if needed. The YO Home Sperm Test is affordable, accurate and easy to use. Simply order the YO kit and download the free app. Each YO kit includes supplies for running two tests and re-usable YO smartphone clip.