Male fertility is often overlooked, yet it reflects overall health—not just reproductive function. It’s not defined by a single test result, but by how well the body is functioning beneath the surface. True care isn’t about chasing numbers, but improving the environment that supports healthy sperm.
In this Shoptalk, we sit down with Naomi Skoglund to explore male fertility through a Chinese medicine lens. We unpack why a “normal” semen analysis doesn’t always mean optimal fertility, and how factors like DNA integrity and cellular energy are often missed. Sperm health can also signal deeper issues like inflammation, metabolic imbalance, and lifestyle strain.
We dive into daily influences—sleep, stress, alcohol, heat, and toxin exposure—and how small changes can make a meaningful difference. We also explore targeted treatments using acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle adjustments.
Real progress isn’t about doing more—it’s about addressing what matters most so the body can restore its natural balance.
If we are treating someone with a male partner for fertility and we are not reviewing the partner’s semen analysis, asking about lifestyle and dietary habits or medication and supplement use, we are missing half the case.
I have really enjoyed and found fulfillment in growing my skills as an acupuncturist since I graduated from ACTCM in 2011. My clinical approach is very palpatory, incorporating both myofascial palpation and Engaging Vitality. I try to explain TCM concepts to patients in biomedical terms whenever possible, which I find makes the experience more accessible to patients.
I specialize in hormonal health, fertility, pregnancy support, and pelvic pain, and I work with an amazing team of acupuncturists as the Clinical Director of Six Branches Family Acupuncture in Portland, Maine.
I am an ABORM fellow, a senior member of the Obstetrical Acupuncture Association, and am on the board of the Maine Acupuncture Society. I love getting to talk about the work we do and build community with other acupuncturists!
Visit Naomi Skoglund’s website to go deeper into what we call “Minimum vs Optimal Fertility Benchmarks”—a critical shift in how male fertility is assessed today.
Read Naomi’s blog post on Male Fertility: an overlooked piece of the fertility conversation.
The World Health Organization lowered semen analysis reference values in 2010 based on public health data that reviewed a sample size of 1,800 men. It redefined “normal” based on the lowest (5th percentile) values observed in those men whose partners conceived within 12 months. The change was based only on time to pregnancy, it did not include live birth or pregnancy complication rates.
This shift means that the cutoffs reflect minimal fertility rather than optimal reproductive health and has raised concerns that “normal” results may be misinterpreted as reassuring, potentially overlooking suboptimal sperm function and contributing to under-diagnosis, delayed treatment, or denial of insurance coverage for ART procedures. Additionally, the simplification of results into normal vs. abnormal categories may obscure important clinical nuance, especially given growing concerns about broader declines in male fertility.
Read more in this research: A Review of Semen Analysis: Updates From the WHO Sixth Edition Manual and Advances in Male Fertility Assessment
Follow Naomi on Instagram and Facebook for ongoing insights and practical guidance.
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