UWC launches Movember sperm drive to study male fertility

The University of the Western Cape has started a donor drive that aims to deepen understanding of male reproductive health and sperm function in South African men.

Associate Professor Liana Maree, who leads the Comparative Spermatology Laboratory, says the appeal is not for fertility treatment but for research into how lifestyle, genetics and environmental contaminants affect sperm structure and movement (UWC).

‘We try to focus on healthy males to eliminate secondary factors. Donors fill in a questionnaire about their lifestyle – whether they drink, smoke, exercise – so we can ensure the samples are not affected by too many variables,’ she said.

Worldwide, about 15% of couples face difficulty conceiving, with male factors contributing to roughly half of those cases; local figures suggest higher rates of difficulty and a substantial male contribution.

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The lab is recruiting healthy young men and asks donors to complete a questionnaire about alcohol use, smoking, exercise and medical history to reduce confounding factors.

Participants receive modest compensation to cover time and travel and the programme operates under ethical approval.

Researchers are also analysing the impact of marine contaminants and common lifestyle conditions such as diabetes on sperm performance and they hope the findings will raise public awareness that infertility often involves the state of male health.

Donors and collaborators can contact Professor Maree at [email protected] or via the Department of Medical Biosciences at UWC for more information.

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Picture: UWC