If you're having difficulty conceiving, you may want to look at your job. Farmers, painters, and varnishers as a group have a much higher chance of infertility and significantly lower sperm counts, compared to men who work in other fields.
Metal works and welders, as a group, had higher incidences of poor sperm motility.
The cause of these higher incidences of infertility and poor sperm health are not known. But one possibility is that the chemicals found in paint, varnish, metal working, and farming (pesticides, for example) may damage sperm.
For metal workers, it could also possibly be a problem with overheating, which can lower sperm counts.
What should you do if you work in one of the above fields? It's a difficult question with no easy answer. While researchers found poor sperm health for men who worked in these occupations, they have not looked at what will happen if they change jobs, or whether or not there are ways to avoid damaging your fertility health while still working in these positions.
Common sense dictates that avoiding contact with toxins in the workplace as much as possible would be vital, whether that means wearing a mask, wearing gloves, or just keeping your body well-covered and clean from chemicals.
