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Sperm counts in Western countries have declined by almost 60% globally since 1973, according to a study.
Stop drinking alcohol and smoking, eat eggs and red meat every day, say goodbye to sauna and jacuzzi, avoid high-intensity physical activities… These tips, all gleaned from TikTok, are not intended for pregnant women, or even those looking to to be. They are in reality provided for men who seek to increase the quality or volume of their sperm.
From the Chinese social network to Reddit, via Instagram, content dedicated to male fertility is booming. Their promises? Help men have more intense orgasms and increase their ability to conceive a child.
While a meta analysis published in 2017 in the journal Human Reproduction Update revealed that sperm counts in Western countries had fallen by almost 60% globally since 1973, these commitments are increasingly resonating among young men.
Promises of fertility and sexual vigor
This is the case of Conor, who has been trying for over a year to have a child with his partner. From the British edition of GQhe explains that he discovered, through Internet research, the existence of food supplements based on vitamins B12, D, E, zinc, folic acid and lycopene, supposed to help him maximize his chances of conception. “I gave myself three months”explains the thirty-year-old to the magazine, adding: “Until then, I didn’t think the problem could come from me. Men are taught that they are fertile most of their lives.”
In France too, these supposedly miraculous food supplements have arrived in pharmacies. “Maxi Sperm”, “Super Sex”, “Maxi Volum”… Their names say it all: increase sexual performance and the quality of men’s semen. Questioned by TF1 Info, a pharmacist confirms the success of these products with two buyer profiles: those who want greater ejaculation and those who fear being infertile.
It is to these same men that followers of the “Spermaxxing” trend address themselves on TikTok, providing, again, sometimes surprising advice, such as bodybuilding, eating raw garlic cloves and practicing« icing »either immerse himself in a bath of ice water, or apply an ice pack to his testicles.
A business as dubious as it is thriving
The phenomenon is such that an online app, logically named Spermaxxing.com, was created at the end of 2025 to help men increase the quality of their sperm and thus maximize their chances of conception.
But are all these tips and food supplements at prices ranging from double to double really effective? Asked by GQDr Ippokratis Sarris, British fertility specialist, does not hide his doubts. Pointing out the lack of transparency from laboratories on the composition of these powders and tablets sold freely online and in pharmacies, he also recalls that « des doses très importantes de 10 ou 20 ingrédients » do not in any way guarantee greater effectiveness than simpler formulas.
Furthermore, he adds, improving sperm count does not necessarily mean better chances of pregnancy. A point of view shared by Dr Antoine Faix, andrologist. Questioned by TF1 Info, he also emphasizes that these drugs above all have a “The placebo effect”.
For Dr Sarris, there is also a significant risk that these food supplements presented as “natural” could in reality be harmful if some of their components interact with other medications. “Male infertility can sometimes reveal other underlying medical problems, such as hormonal disorders, varicocele or genetic diseases. Taking a massive dose of expensive food supplements at random is not only bad for your wallet, but also for your health. insists the doctor.
Male infertility, a major public health issue
The laboratories marketing these food supplements are not the only ones to benefit from the fallout from this sudden interest in male fertility. From TikTok to Reddit, it also fuels a whole masculinist discourse already widely established online. As before, the mastery of seduction techniques, the practice of bodybuilding or the consumption of proteins, the improvement of seminal quality is part of a perspective of “revirilization” of men.
However, the issue of male infertility deserves better than being studied through the sole prism of performance and should be considered for what it is: a major public health subject. Constantly increasing for twenty years, infertility today affects 3.3 million people in France, or one in four couples according to a ministerial report dating from 2022. And, in a quarter of cases, this infertility is of solely male origin.
Hence the need to rethink the way we approach the issue of infertility in couples today. “The system seems designed to put all the pressure on the woman while offering very little understanding and support.” to men, rightly pointed out to GQ Jack, a forty-year-old from London who fought for a long time to have a child.
Especially since specialists have since 2021 issued recommendations to better treat male infertility. Among them, systematically explore the family history of fertility during consultations, perform a physical examination and not wait to perform a spermogram if an anomaly is detected. And, finally, focus on prevention by recalling the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle habits before even trying to conceive. But obviously, it is more lucrative for some to make people believe in the existence of miraculous treatments.
